The Palermo Prosecutor's Office resumed investigating the 1980 murder of Sicilian politician Piersanti Mattarella, identifying two historic Mafia hitmen, Antonino Madonia and Giuseppe Lucchese, as new suspects in the case. Both Madonia and Lucchese are already serving life sentences and are now accused of having executed the crime, according to ANSA.

Piersanti Mattarella was assassinated in front of his home in Palermo while in a car with his wife as they were heading to Epiphany Day Mass. He was shot with eight .38 caliber bullets by Mafia hitmen, as detailed by Il Giornale. Mattarella, the former President of the Sicilian Region and brother of the current President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, was working on renewing political life within the Christian Democracy party and making sincere openings towards the Italian Communist Party, according to ANSA.

His activity was considered dangerous by the Mafia because it threatened their established interests in public contracts and the management of Sicilian economic life. Judges in subsequent trials wrote that Mattarella's efforts "appeared very dangerous" because they were inspired by a genuine policy of renewal, as noted by Adnkronos.

The elimination of Mattarella was in the common interest of all Mafia families due to the policy he pursued of renewed transparency in the assignment of contracts. Il Fatto Quotidiano reports that this policy endangered the balances between public administrations and Mafia interests that had been maintained through other subjects.

The identification of these new suspects marks a turning point in the reopened investigations into Mattarella's assassination. According to La Repubblica, the Palermo Prosecutor's Office gathered new evidence that strengthens the basis of the accusation against the two men linked to the Mafia, potentially leading to a new trial.

Until now, the investigation had established the responsibility of the bosses of the Cosa Nostra Cupola, who were convicted as the masterminds behind the murder, but the actual killers remained unpunished. The leaders of the Mafia's Cupola, including Totò Riina, Bernardo Provenzano, Pippo Calò, Francesco Madonia, Michele Greco, and Nenè Geraci, were convicted as the instigators of the ambush against Mattarella, as reported by Il Fatto Quotidiano.

The renewed focus on Madonia and Lucchese aims to give a face to the killers who shot Mattarella in broad daylight on January 6, 1980. The investigation was marked by diversions and false information, which led to the belief that the shooters could have been individuals not belonging to Cosa Nostra, according to Il Giornale.

Previously, Giusva Fioravanti and Gilberto Cavallini were both acquitted after being initially indicated as executors of the murder, with Fioravanti resembling the identikit produced from the testimony of Mattarella's wife, Irma Chiazzese. ANSA reports that the investigation excluded that the shooter was the black terrorist Fioravanti.

A ceremony was held in Palermo to commemorate Mattarella on the anniversary of his assassination. Attending the ceremony were his son Bernardo, his grandchildren, and various officials, including Palermo's Chief Prosecutor Lia Sava and former Mayor Leoluca Orlando, according to Il Fatto Quotidiano.

"Memory serves not only to remember those who are no longer there but serves to remind those who are here that we must continue this battle because it is a battle that concerns the quality of our democracy," said Antonello Cracolici, President of the Sicilian Regional Assembly Anti-Mafia Commission, according to Libero Quotidiano.

Investigators hope that new elements may finally help shed light on the murder of Mattarella. La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that the new evidence could lead to a new trial, with revelations that strengthen the accusatory framework against the alleged hitmen.

Madonia and Lucchese, both trusted hitmen of the Corleonesi clan, committed numerous murders. Rai News reports that they were involved in the massacre on Via Isidoro Carini, which resulted in the deaths of General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, his wife Emanuela Setti Carraro, and escort officer Domenico Russo.

Despite the new developments, the Mattarella family maintained maximum confidentiality regarding judicial matters and investigations. They prefer not to comment on the latest developments, as stated by Il Fatto Quotidiano.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq