Maurizio Di Gati
Encyclopedia
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
mafioso
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
and considered to be the boss of the Agrigento
Agrigento
Agrigento , is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy, and capital of the province of Agrigento. It is renowned as the site of the ancient Greek city of Akragas , one of the leading cities of Magna Graecia during the golden...
province before his arrest in November 2006.
Di Gati was born in Racalmuto
Racalmuto
Racalmuto is a comune in the Province of Agrigento in the Italian Autonomous Region of Sicily, located about 90 km southeast of Palermo and about 15 km northeast of Agrigento.Racalmuto borders the following municipalities: Bompensiere, Canicattì, Castrofilippo, Favara,...
, in the province of Agrigento
Province of Agrigento
Agrigento is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. It has an area of 3,042 km², and a total population of 454,370...
, the hometown of the famous Sicilian writer Leonardo Sciascia
Leonardo Sciascia
Leonardo Sciascia was an Italian writer, novelist, essayist, playwright and politician. Some of his works have been made into films, including Open Doors and Il giorno della civetta .- Biography :Sciascia was born in Racalmuto, Sicily...
. He became a barber. However, when in 1991 his elder brother Diego Di Gati was killed in a vendetta with a rival mafia-like group, the Stidda
Stidda
La Stidda is a name for Mafia-type criminal organizations centered in Gela, Sicily, in Italy. Members are known as stiddari or stiddaroli. It is most active in the rural parts of southern Sicily and is partially a rival to Cosa Nostra...
, he decided to become a ‘man of honour’ to avenge his brother.
He was supposed to be made capoprovincia at a meeting of Mafia families from Agrigento on July 14, 2002 in Santa Margherita di Belice
Santa Margherita di Belice
Santa Margherita di Belice is a town in the Province of Agrigento in the Italian region of Sicily.It rises in south-west Sicily, 400 metres above sea level, near to where the borders of the Province of Agrigento, Province of Trapani and Province of Palermo meet...
. Di Gati was sponsored by Antonino Giuffrè
Antonino Giuffrè
Antonino "Nino" Giuffrè is an Italian mafioso from Caccamo in the Province of Palermo, Sicily. He became one of the most important Mafia turncoats after his arrest in April 2002....
, while Bernardo Provenzano
Bernardo Provenzano
Bernardo Provenzano is a member of the Sicilian Mafia and is suspected of having been the head of the Corleonesi, a Mafia faction that originated in the village of Corleone, and de facto capo di tutti capi of the entire Sicilian Mafia until his arrest in 2006.His nickname is Binnu u tratturi...
preferred Giuseppe Falsone
Giuseppe Falsone
Giuseppe Falsone is a member of the Sicilian Mafia. His name is sometimes spelled as Falzone. He was on the "Most wanted list" of the Italian ministry of the Interior since January 1999, until his arrest in France in June 2010...
from Campobello di Licata
Campobello di Licata
Campobello di Licata is a comune in the Province of Agrigento in the Italian region Sicily, located about 110 km southeast of Palermo and about 30 km east of Agrigento...
.
However, the police interrupted the summit. Di Gati was able to escape before the raid. He stepped aside as provincial boss for Falsone due to the opposition of Provenzano to his position and after the arrest of Giuffrè.
Di Gati was arrested on November 25, 2006, in Villaggio Mosè, near Agrigento
Agrigento
Agrigento , is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy, and capital of the province of Agrigento. It is renowned as the site of the ancient Greek city of Akragas , one of the leading cities of Magna Graecia during the golden...
. He was a fugitive
Fugitive
A fugitive is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from private slavery, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals...
since 1999, when he was convicted to six years incarceration for Mafia conspiracy. In December 2006 he decided to become a collaborating state witness (pentito
Pentito
Pentito designates people in Italy who, formerly part of criminal or terrorist organizations, following their arrests decide to "repent" and collaborate with the judicial system to help investigations...
).