Antonio Bisaglia
Encyclopedia
Antonio Bisaglia was an Italian politician, a member of Christian Democracy (Democrazia Cristiana, or DC).
, the son of a railway worker. He entered Azione Cattolica
and in 1951 he became national counsellor of Christian Democracy's youth movement. Bisaglia graduated in law at the University of Padua
.
In 1963 he was elected for DC in the Italian Chamber of Deputies
, a position he held until 1979, when he became a Senator. He was confirmed in the Italian Senate
also in the 1983 general elections. Bisaglia had government positions for some eight years starting from 1972. He was Minister of Agriculture in Rumor V Cabinet
, Minister of State Controlled Agencies in Moro IV
, Moro V, Andreotti
III, IV and V cabinets, and Minister of Industry in the first and second Cossiga
governments, as well as in Forlani
government of 1980.
Bisaglia began his national career as a collaborator and assistant of fellow Veneto
DC politician Mariano Rumor. The alliance between the two fell in 1975, when Bisaglia, with the help of Flaminio Piccoli
(DC leader from Trentino) put Rumor in minority in the Dorotei faction within DC that Rumor had himself founded. In 1980, after relevations from Italian Social Movement
senator Pisanò, Bisaglia was involved into a scandal connected to oil affairs, together with Sereno Freato, former secretary of Aldo Moro
(DC national leader - as well as main member of the Dorotei - and Italy's prime minister who had been killed in obscure circumstances by the Red Brigades
in 1979). During a session of the Italian Parliament, Pisanò read a letter by political gossip journalist Mino Pecorelli, in which he asked money from Bisaglia. Pecorelli had been killed by mafia a few years before, and was also involved in the Moro affair, as well as in numerous other ones connected to other DC leader Giulio Andreotti
, the masonic lodge Propaganda 2 and the Italian Secret Services. DC forced Bisaglia to resign from minister in December 1980.
Bisaglia died from unclear reasons in June 1984. According to the official reconstruction, he fell into the sea from his boat off Santa Margherita Ligure
. At the time time, he was president of DC Senators and the process for the oil scandal was being held. There was no autopsy
, since (according to some sources) the body was taken off by order of Francesco Cossiga
. Bisaglia's body was diagnosed to have "immediately drowned", although the sea was was calm and he was a good swimmer. His brother, a priest, also drowned in 1992 in a lake near Domegge. At the time, he was investigating in the former minister's death and, according to one reconstruction, he had come to Cadore
to ask the pope (who was in vacation in the area) dispensation from the confessional seal to reveal what he had discovered. Other people who were sojourning in Cadore when the priest died included Giulio Andreotti, Francesco Cossiga and Propaganda 2 Grand Master, Licio Gelli
. Bisaglia former personal secretary, Gino Mazzolaio, died in the same circumstance in the Adige
River the following year. Another people connected to Bisaglia who died at the time was Ugo Niutta, whom the minister had chosen as boss of Farmitalia and who shared with him knowledges of several Propaganda Due affiliates: he officially committed suicide in London, a few time after his cognizant Roberto Calvi
, a banker whose suicide was simulated in that city by order of Michele Sindona
, a criminal associated with Andreotti.
Biography
He was born at RovigoRovigo
Rovigo is a town and comune in the Veneto region of North-Eastern Italy, the capital of the eponymous province. -Geography:...
, the son of a railway worker. He entered Azione Cattolica
Azione Cattolica
The Azione Cattolica Italiana, or Azione Cattolica for short, is a widespread lay Roman Catholic association in Italy.-History:...
and in 1951 he became national counsellor of Christian Democracy's youth movement. Bisaglia graduated in law at the University of Padua
University of Padua
The University of Padua is a premier Italian university located in the city of Padua, Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 as a school of law and was one of the most prominent universities in early modern Europe. It is among the earliest universities of the world and the second...
.
In 1963 he was elected for DC in the Italian Chamber of Deputies
Italian Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
, a position he held until 1979, when he became a Senator. He was confirmed in the Italian Senate
Italian Senate
The Senate of the Republic is the upper house of the Italian Parliament. It was established in its current form on 8 May 1948, but previously existed during the Kingdom of Italy as Senato del Regno , itself a continuation of the Senato Subalpino of Sardinia-Piedmont established on 8 May 1848...
also in the 1983 general elections. Bisaglia had government positions for some eight years starting from 1972. He was Minister of Agriculture in Rumor V Cabinet
Mariano Rumor
Mariano Rumor was an Italian politician, a member of the Democrazia Cristiana and the 40th Prime Minister of Italy.He was born in Vicenza, Veneto...
, Minister of State Controlled Agencies in Moro IV
Aldo Moro
Aldo Moro was an Italian politician and the 39th Prime Minister of Italy, from 1963 to 1968, and then from 1974 to 1976. He was one of Italy's longest-serving post-war Prime Ministers, holding power for a combined total of more than six years....
, Moro V, Andreotti
Giulio Andreotti
Giulio Andreotti is an Italian politician of the now dissolved centrist Christian Democracy party. He served as the 42nd Prime Minister of Italy from 1972 to 1973, from 1976 to 1979 and from 1989 to 1992. He also served as Minister of the Interior , Defense Minister and Foreign Minister and he...
III, IV and V cabinets, and Minister of Industry in the first and second Cossiga
Francesco Cossiga
Francesco Cossiga was an Italian politician, the 43rd Prime Minister and the eighth President of the Italian Republic. He was also a professor of constitutional law at the University of Sassari....
governments, as well as in Forlani
Arnaldo Forlani
This article is about the Italian legislator. For the similar name used as an alias by terrorist Ramzi Yousef for Philippine Airlines Flight 434, see Ramzi Yousef....
government of 1980.
Bisaglia began his national career as a collaborator and assistant of fellow Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
DC politician Mariano Rumor. The alliance between the two fell in 1975, when Bisaglia, with the help of Flaminio Piccoli
Flaminio Piccoli
frame|Flaminio Piccoli.Flaminio Piccoli was an Italian politician, a member of Christian Democracy ....
(DC leader from Trentino) put Rumor in minority in the Dorotei faction within DC that Rumor had himself founded. In 1980, after relevations from Italian Social Movement
Italian Social Movement
The Italian Social Movement , and later the Italian Social Movement–National Right , was a neo-fascist and post-fascist political party in Italy. Formed in 1946 by supporters of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, the party became the fourth largest party in Italy by the early 1960s...
senator Pisanò, Bisaglia was involved into a scandal connected to oil affairs, together with Sereno Freato, former secretary of Aldo Moro
Aldo Moro
Aldo Moro was an Italian politician and the 39th Prime Minister of Italy, from 1963 to 1968, and then from 1974 to 1976. He was one of Italy's longest-serving post-war Prime Ministers, holding power for a combined total of more than six years....
(DC national leader - as well as main member of the Dorotei - and Italy's prime minister who had been killed in obscure circumstances by the Red Brigades
Red Brigades
The Red Brigades was a Marxist-Leninist terrorist organisation, based in Italy, which was responsible for numerous violent incidents, assassinations, and robberies during the so-called "Years of Lead"...
in 1979). During a session of the Italian Parliament, Pisanò read a letter by political gossip journalist Mino Pecorelli, in which he asked money from Bisaglia. Pecorelli had been killed by mafia a few years before, and was also involved in the Moro affair, as well as in numerous other ones connected to other DC leader Giulio Andreotti
Giulio Andreotti
Giulio Andreotti is an Italian politician of the now dissolved centrist Christian Democracy party. He served as the 42nd Prime Minister of Italy from 1972 to 1973, from 1976 to 1979 and from 1989 to 1992. He also served as Minister of the Interior , Defense Minister and Foreign Minister and he...
, the masonic lodge Propaganda 2 and the Italian Secret Services. DC forced Bisaglia to resign from minister in December 1980.
Bisaglia died from unclear reasons in June 1984. According to the official reconstruction, he fell into the sea from his boat off Santa Margherita Ligure
Santa Margherita Ligure
thumb|250px|Villa Durazzo.Santa Margherita Ligure is a comune in the province of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about 35 km southeast of Genoa, in the Tigullio traditional area.left|220px|thumb|16th century castle....
. At the time time, he was president of DC Senators and the process for the oil scandal was being held. There was no autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
, since (according to some sources) the body was taken off by order of Francesco Cossiga
Francesco Cossiga
Francesco Cossiga was an Italian politician, the 43rd Prime Minister and the eighth President of the Italian Republic. He was also a professor of constitutional law at the University of Sassari....
. Bisaglia's body was diagnosed to have "immediately drowned", although the sea was was calm and he was a good swimmer. His brother, a priest, also drowned in 1992 in a lake near Domegge. At the time, he was investigating in the former minister's death and, according to one reconstruction, he had come to Cadore
Cadore
Cadore is a "comunità montana" in the Italian region of Veneto, in the northernmost part of the province of Belluno bordering on Austria, the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is watered by the Piave River poured forth from the Carnic Alps...
to ask the pope (who was in vacation in the area) dispensation from the confessional seal to reveal what he had discovered. Other people who were sojourning in Cadore when the priest died included Giulio Andreotti, Francesco Cossiga and Propaganda 2 Grand Master, Licio Gelli
Licio Gelli
Licio Gelli is an Italian financier, chiefly known for his role in the Banco Ambrosiano scandal. He was revealed in 1981 as being the Venerable Master of the clandestine Masonic lodge Propaganda Due...
. Bisaglia former personal secretary, Gino Mazzolaio, died in the same circumstance in the Adige
Adige
The Adige is a river with its source in the Alpine province of South Tyrol near the Italian border with Austria and Switzerland. At in length, it is the second longest river in Italy, after the River Po with ....
River the following year. Another people connected to Bisaglia who died at the time was Ugo Niutta, whom the minister had chosen as boss of Farmitalia and who shared with him knowledges of several Propaganda Due affiliates: he officially committed suicide in London, a few time after his cognizant Roberto Calvi
Roberto Calvi
Roberto Calvi was an Italian banker dubbed "God's Banker" by the press because of his close association with the Holy See. A native of Milan, Calvi was Chairman of Banco Ambrosiano, which collapsed in one of modern Italy's biggest political scandals...
, a banker whose suicide was simulated in that city by order of Michele Sindona
Michele Sindona
Michele Sindona was an Italian banker and convicted felon. Known in banking circles as "The Shark", Sindona was a member of Propaganda Due , a secret lodge of Italian Freemasonry, and had clear connections to the Mafia...
, a criminal associated with Andreotti.