Paolo Borsellino

Paolo Borsellino (born the January 19th 1940 with Palermo, Italy - died the July 19th 1992 in Palermo, Italy) is a judge anti Italian Mafia. He is the brother of Rita Borsellino, militant anti-Maffia and former president of Libera.

Born in a working district from Palermo, the Kalsa , it carries out its studies of right to the university of Palermo, where it is graduate with the honors in 1962 and passes the examination of the Bar in 1963. He exerts in several sicilian cities (Enna in 1965, Mazara del Vallo in 1967, Monreale in 1969). After its marriage in 1968, it is transferred to Palermo in 1975 with Rocco Chinnici, where it is harnessed to fight the Maffia Sicilian.

It carries to its credit the arrest of six members of the organization in 1980; the same year, one of its close relations, the captain of the Police officers Emanuele Basile, is assassinated by the Maffia. Following this event, he sees himself assigning a police protection.

Working with the judges Giovanni Falcone and Rocco Chinnici, Borsellino continues its investigation into the Maffia and its bonds with the sicilian and Italian political power and economic. In 1983, Rocco Chinnici is killed by a bomb placed in its car and is replaced by Antonino Caponnetto. In 1986, Borsellino becomes prosecutor as a chief of Marsala, main city of the province of Trapani, where it continues his work anti-Maffia. Its bonds with Giovanni Falcone, remained in Palermo, enable him to inquire in all Western Sicily. In 1987, after the resignation of Caponnetto for health reasons, Borsellino takes part in the protest movement after the failure of the nomination of his/her friend Giovanni Falcone with the head of the network anti-Maffia.

The July 19th 1992, after five years of fight against the Maffia, Borsellino judge is killed in the explosion of a car bomb Via Amelio, in Palermo, less than two months after the death of his/her friend and Falcone colleague. The explosion also kills five police officers, Agostino Catalano, Walter Cosina, Emanuela Loi, Vincenzo Li Muli and Claudio Traina.

Salvatore " Toto" Riina, the head of the gangster household of Corleone, purges today a custodial sentence with perpetuity to have ordered the assassinations of judges Borsellino and Falcone, like for different multiples murder.

Paolo Borsellino is regarded today as one of the most important judges assassinated by the Maffia Sicilian during the years 1980 and 1990. It remains one of the symbols of the fight of the Italian State against the organized crime. Many schools and public buildings bear its name, among which the international airport of Palermo, now known under the name of Aéroport Falcone-Borsellino . One can see there a monument with his memory by the sicilian sculptor Tommaso Geraci.

Rita Borsellino

His/her sister Rita is the candidate of the Union for the regional elections of 2006, after her victory with the regional primary educations. Militant anti-Maffia, it is the former president of Libera.

Sources

Excels Cadavers (1995), Alexander Stille, Vintage ISBN 0099594919

The Antimafia (2000), Alison Jamieson, MacMillan Close Ltd ISBN 033380158

Cosa Nostra (2004), John Dickie, Coronet, ISBN 0340824352

Biography of Paolo Borsellino
Interview of Paolo Borsellino

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