Giovanni Grizzaffi has died
He was Salvatore Riina's nephew and heir
The world of Sicilian organised crime has been plunged into mourning by the news of the death of Giovanni Grizzaffi, aged 74, who was the favourite nephew of Salvatore Riina, boss of bosses, and once touted as his successor.
In fact Grizzaffi died some months ago, but the news has only just now been made public, though it has been well known in his native town of Corleone, where, surprise surprise, no one was talking to the press, but observing the strictest omerta.
Grizzaffi had been released from jail back in 2017, having been in prison since 1993. He was the son of Caterina, sister to the notorious boss of bosses. For a few months after his uncle’s arrest, and before his own imprisonment, he was the putative head of the Corleone mob.
Quite a few of Riina’s family still live in Corleone. They include Salvuccio, his son, who has served time for Mafia membership but who now calls himself an author, and who has written a book on his family. Also in Corleone is the boss’s daughter, Lucia, back home after spending some time in Paris, where she had opened a restaurant, which failed. Their mother is also there, Ninetta Bagarella, aged 79, sister of Leoluca, still serving life for murder. However, the third child, Maria Concetta, is living in Puglia with her husband. Giovanni, the fourth child, is ‘away’, serving life for murder.
I have not been to Corleone, and I am reliably told that there is absolutely nothing to see there. It is just a rather dull town in the hinterland of Sicily. It was made famous, before Riina took over the Mafia, by Mario Puzo, as we all know. The film ‘Godfather II’ has some lovely scenes shot in Sicily but these were filmed in various picturesque towns in the province of Messina. My source says that tourists go to Corleone, have their picture taken under the sign that announces the town’s name, and then drive back to Palermo. I am certainly not tempted to do that, nor wander the streets on the off chance of spotting the widow Riina and her children. If the town’s inhabitants have a reputation for omerta that could well be connected to not liking gawking tourists more than anything else.
The Corleone mob seems to be out of action these days, with most of its members in jail or very old. But the legend lives on. My guess, and it is only a guess, is that the type of gangsterism that flourished under Riina had had its day, and that organised crime had moved from blue collar to white collar - mainly. If Grizzaffi were the chosen heir of Riina, there was very little for him to inherit. It is better that way.
But legends live on, and Corleone will always be synonyms with violent organised crime. Far more romantic, though, is Montelepre, once home to Sicily’s most notorious outlaw, Turiddu Giuliano, who is buried in the cemetery there. I have not been there, yet. It’s on my list.
