It is a slow tolling of a bell in a surreal silence. It is a twelve-year-long justice that is expected in Pollica on September 5, 2022. This year is a different anniversary for the death of Angelo Vassallo. The new twists of thejudicial investigation With nine people under investigation, accused of various counts of murder and drug trafficking, there's hope. Perhaps truth and justice are closer. This is what Antonio Vassallo, Angelo's son, hopes. On the anniversary of his father's death, he doesn't hide his hope that the long-awaited moment may have arrived. "After so many years," says Antonio Vassallo, "we believe there's much more to the investigation into my father's death than what appeared in the newspapers. This year, we believe in it even more."
Antonio Vassallo's is a long retracing, at times even with bitterness, of what happened since the day of his father's death. names of the suspects - three Carabinieri, four businessmen, and two criminals with ties to the Camorra - have opened a breach in the wall of silence, but have also rekindled questions and doubts about Mayor Pescatore's death.
"I think many mistakes were made by investigators and some magistrates, which is why twelve years later we still don't know the killer," he says bitterly. "But we want to continue to believe that there are people who believed us. We want to believe that these were not deliberate mistakes. Just like our father, we believe in the State, we believe in the Italian flag. We want to believe that the State exists and works. We want to believe that the good State can nail those responsible and put them in prison."
In the investigation, Lieutenant Colonel Fabio Cagnazzo of the Carabinieri is under investigation, along with two other Carabinieri. His name is the one that has caused the most discussion and Antonio Vassallo does not spare any criticism and attacks: "I knew Cagnazzo little, as far as I'm concerned he and his driver Molaro did not represent a figure of the State, they were very eccentric in the port of Acciaroli, unfortunately or fortunately I never had anything to do with them. He is a person who did not inspire much trust".
On the climate of suspicion, almost omertà, that has existed since the death of Angelo Vassallo, you can feel the atmosphere in Pollica, the mayor's son has no qualms: "Many people have been implicated even though they were not involved in the murder, everyone is careful what they say. If we want to call this silence, then it exists.
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And on the existence of the Camorra in Pollica, Vassallo has no doubts: "If the Camorra is drug trafficking, if the Camorra is having had or sold large quantities of drugs then we must say, reluctantly, that a form of Camorra existed and exists in this country. Today, unfortunately, drugs and corruption still circulate".
Antonio Vassallo remembers his father and comments on the great participation this year in the anniversary commemoration. “After so many years there were many mayors, many friends. I want to hope that this memory will be there in 50, 100 years, because dad deserves to be remembered. He was the representative of good politics. I hope that as soon as possible we will know the reason why he is no longer with us”.
At a distance of twelve years It's even harder to believe in justice if law enforcement officials are implicated in the investigation. "I believe that justice is made up of honest and dishonest people," concludes Antonio Vassallo, "regardless of how the investigation was conducted. There are people who have done terrible things, who have made mistakes, people who could be implicated. If justice is represented by these people, then I have a hard time believing it. Instead, I want to believe that there are also honest people, people who believe in the rule of law."
Rosaria Federico
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