From supermarkets to petrol, these were just some of the 'businesses' that boss Matteo Messina Denaro was aiming for.
Article Key Points
- 1 The rules: those who pay the pizzo must not also provide jobs
- 2 Supermarkets and more.
- 3 In Provenzano's notes, devotion to the boss: "You are the guarantor of everything"
- 4 “You are our teacher, I love you so much”
- 5 “I was born this way and I will die this way”
- 6 "We know what politicians who do nothing for nothing are like"
- 7 “I belong to her”
A very profitable business that interested the boss, as emerges from the notes written between 2003 and 2006 found in Bernardo Provenzano's hideout. About ten messages that, in addition to having contributed to the investigations of these years, outline the figure of the Castelvetrano massacrer. The first issue concerned a villager from Messina Denaro who obtained the management of some supermarkets, who however had some debts with other mafiosi and who received requests for protection money.
"I'll now tell you about my problem. In the Ag area there is a person from Castelvetrano who has the concession for the supermarkets" he explains Messina Denaro to 'uncle Bernardo'. Aware of the 'complicated' situation, Messina Money makes his own proposal to resolve the issue.
”So my fellow citizen has several outlets in several towns, now you have to establish a certain amount per year that my fellow citizen has to give for each outlet, then you add up the amount you decided, so you can see how much my fellow citizen has to go out every year, only that we deduct the money every year from the money that Cpz has to give us, until we remove all the debt he has with us.
Everything is covered by the protection money that my fellow countryman has to pay until the debt is paid off. This proposal of mine has some clauses though – he warns Messina Denaro – which I want you to respect, in the sense that there is no room for negotiation: either they accept or they don't accept my proposal as it is, if they think of making changes my proposal already lapses and is no longer valid”.
The rules: those who pay the pizzo must not also provide jobs
From the message written to Provenzano, we also discover some 'rules' that are in force in the mafia and that shed light on the 'pizzo' system. "Since my fellow countryman will now pay the pizzo for each point of sale, he is freed from any obligation of favoritism, that is, the points of sale are my fellow countryman's and in addition to managing them he gives work to whoever he wants - Messina Denaro emphasizes - On the other hand - he explains - it is always the rule that whoever pays the pizzo has nothing more to give, therefore no more jobs, only the pizzo will be paid".
Supermarkets and more.
The boss of Castelvetrano, captured last week, also wanted to get his hands on petrol, with a project already in an advanced stage, as he wrote in the note, aware however that it was a business that was tempting for many, and for this reason Provenzano's mediation was needed.
"As for the petrol with all its ramifications, it's a pretty big deal and has been talked about for a long time, what is certain is that it must fall within the territory of Alcamo and the exact point is already known - wrote Messina Denaro - A lot of people are orbiting around this thing because everyone wants to get their hands on the business and each has their own political faction, up until now I have been watching and letting them slaughter each other" but once the decision has been made, warns the boss, "I will make sure that all the vultures circling around this business retreat".
In Provenzano's notes, devotion to the boss: "You are the guarantor of everything"
"I turn to you as the guarantor of everyone and everything": it is a complete devotion for 'uncle Bernardo' that emerges from the dozen notes written by Matteo Messina Denaro and found in Provenzano's hideout on the day of his capture, 11 April 2006, in a farmhouse in Corleone, in the province of Palermo.
"His contacts are the only ones that are good for me, that is, I don't recognize anyone else. Whoever is his friend is and will be my friend, whoever is not his friend - underlines the mafia boss - is not only not my friend but will be my enemy, there is no doubt about that."
And then the respect and reverence for the boss, which is always highlighted: "I thank you from the bottom of my heart that you are taking an interest in this problem of mine and I thank you for working for harmony and peace for all of us". In a note, Matteo Messina Denaro then expresses his entire way of thinking, speaking of his past to underline his long experience in 'Cosa Nostra'.
"I know the rules and I respect them, the proof that I know the rules and that I am respecting them is precisely in the fact that I am turning to you to sort out this unpleasant affair, for me this is respecting the rules.
There was a time when I cleaned many corners in Ag, I did it because I was ordered by those who were higher up than me, and you know who I'm talking about and I also did it because it was right and proper to help them, I'm talking about '83 onwards, I was told to fix what they needed and over the years I always made myself available for everything they needed, you will understand that by repeatedly living certain experiences you establish beyond a friendship relationship also a feeling of brotherhood, well, even in those years of brotherhood I never allowed myself to say a word more to Ag, that is, I always remained within the limits of friend and brother.
Now, of all those with whom I had brotherly relations in Ag, there is not even one left around, they are all inside, those who are there now I do not know them and I realize that they know nothing of the past, imagine if I go and say more words to the friends of Ag of now”.
“You are our teacher, I love you so much”
Closing the note, Messina Denaro expresses all her 'love' for the boss: "I know that you don't need any recommendations because he is our master but it is my heart that speaks and I ask you to always be very careful, I love you so much".
And again, in a note dated February 1, 2004, he states: "For my part, I have always found myself more than happy with her because I have always found honesty, seriousness and understanding." With Christmas approaching, in 2005, Messina Denaro sends his best wishes to 'uncle Bernardo', with words that are those of a mafia boss who has been on the run for over ten years.
”Soon it will be Holy Christmas and I hope that you and your loved ones can spend it at least serenely, I don't say happily because for us there is no happiness. But serenely and I wish it from the bottom of my heart, just as I hope that for you and your loved ones it will be a better new year.
Know that you are always in my heart and in my thoughts, if you need something from me, talk to me without any problem because it goes without saying that I am at your complete disposal and always will be. I ask you to always be very careful, I love you too much" he concludes signing the note "your nephew Alessio".
The reverence for the boss, the 'respect for the rules' of 'Cosa Nostra' and the awareness that in the face of so many arrests made in the 'war' waged by the judiciary and the police against organised crime "I was born this way and I will die this way".
“I was born this way and I will die this way”
It is one of the sentences contained in the notes written by Matteo Messina Denaro and found in Bernardo Provenzano's hideout when he was captured on April 11, 2006 in a farmhouse in Corleone, in the province of Palermo. From the messages exchanged between the two mafiosi massacrers, a cross-section of that world emerges.
“You tell me that money isn't everything in life and that there are good things that money can't buy,” Messina Denaro wrote to 'uncle Bernardo' in one of the messages signed by 'your nephew Alessio'. “I totally agree with you, because I've always thought that you can be a man without a penny and you can be full of money and still be mud.”
"I tell you that I have made honesty my philosophy of life - he adds - and the fact that I turned to you demonstrates exactly that, now I entrust myself completely in your hands and in your decisions, everything you decide I will accept without problems and without creating problems, this for me is honesty".
Messages in which the reverence for the boss is always underlined, as can be read in another passage of the note: "Any decision of yours will be fine because you can dispose of me like a son". And again: "My dear uncle, in your letter I found some beautiful words, you tell me that we are both in the same boat and we must do everything to not let it sink, you also tell me to study how to overcome so as not to be criticized but appreciated, I thank you immensely for this trust that you give me, I can tell you that I entrust myself in your hands, what you do for me is well done and if you do it we can only be appreciated".
In the same note, responding to a request from Provenzano, Messina Denaro explained: "Unfortunately I can't help you because at the moment we don't have anyone left in Marsala, they're all inside, even the replacements and the replacements of the replacements, there's no one left to put in, we can only wait in the hope that someone comes out with lighter things so we can resume all the discussions.
Imagine that T also asked me a favor from Marsala and I can't help him, in fact I gave him the same answer that I gave you, in the hope that he understands the situation that has arisen in Marsala and also in other towns, unfortunately here the beatings have been continuous and among other things they show no signs of ending - underlines the mafia boss - I think that in the end they will also arrest the chairs when they have finished with the people.
"We know what politicians who do nothing for nothing are like"
So it will be my job as soon as there is someone in Marsala to inform you and therefore resolve what you and T need, I think you will understand me because having dealt with everyone you certainly know that there are other areas currently combined like Marsala”. In a situation of great difficulty for 'Cosa Nostra', hit ever harder by the judiciary and the police, Messina Denaro shows little 'trust' towards 'politics'.
In a note sent between 2004 and 2005, he wrote to Provenzano: "We know what politicians who do nothing for nothing are like and we no longer have any power to negotiate, that's why I don't think there's any politician who will go and dirty his mouth for us, but as they say we'll see. As for the name of the politician, write it down separately and have it sent to 121, then 121 will tell me and I'll understand."
“I belong to her”
And after receiving the answer from Provenzano, Messina Denaro in another note replies: "Yes, I have already received the name of the politician". In a message to the boss, finally, there is a real 'profession of faith', almost a testament: "I would humbly like to tell you that I am not better than you, I prefer to say that I belong to you, as it has always been, I always have a path that is yours, I was born this way and I will die this way, this is a certainty".
Article published on 26 January 2023 - 09:14
