Mariano Tullio Troia
Encyclopedia
Mariano Tullio Troia was a member of the Sicilian Mafia. He was on the "most wanted list" of the Italian ministry of the Interior since 1992 until his arrest in Palermo in September 1998.
of the neighbourhood of San Lorenzo. He was one of the most trusted lieutenants of the so-called boss of bosses
Totò Riina. In the early 1990s his name emerged in statements of some collaborators of justice (pentiti
), such as Gaspare Mutolo
and Giuseppe Marchese
. He substituted Giuseppe Giacomo Gambino
who was jailed in 1986 as head of the San Lorenzo mandamento and on the Sicilian Mafia Commission
.
Police received detailed information from Alberto Lo Cicero, former driver and confidant of Troia. Lo Cicero said that some Commission members of Cosa Nostra, including Riina, met in Troia’s villa in San Lorenzo. Lo Cicero became a pentito in August 1992 after surviving an ambush on December 20, 1991, and the killing of Antimafia judges Giovanni Falcone
and Paolo Borsellino
in May and July 1992.
politician Salvo Lima, the right hand man of Prime minister Giulio Andreotti
. His name also appeared as backer of the killing of Mario Prestifilippo
and Giovanni Fici, assassinated in 1987 and 1988 to prevent retaliation after the elimination of the Mafia killer Pino "Little Shoe" Greco
.
He was put on Italy’s most wanted list. Italian police claimed Troia had moved to South Africa where he was being harboured by Salvatore Morettino, a naturalised South African citizen living in Houghton
(a wealthy suburb of Johannesburg
), according to Western Cape police intelligence in a March 1998 briefing. He was also in contact with Vito Roberto Palazzolo
, a Sicilian businessman with ties to the Mafia.
He was arrested in Palermo on September 15, 1998. At the time, he was considered to be the number 3 of the Sicilian Mafia. He was captured on the second floor of a house in the Tommaso Natale neighbourhood in bed with the lady of the house while the woman's husband was asleep in downstairs in a room with her daughters.
. He participated in or, as member of the Commission, was held responsible for some 40 murders.
High ranking Mafia boss
Troia was the son of a Mafia boss that controlled the San Lorenzo neighbourhood of Palermo. For a long time Troia remained unknown to police investigators although he had reached a major role within Cosa Nostra as head of the mandamentoMandamento
Historically a mandamento was the part of Italian territory under the jurisdiction of a "pretore" which is a kind of magistrate. These divisions were abolished in 1923....
of the neighbourhood of San Lorenzo. He was one of the most trusted lieutenants of the so-called boss of bosses
Capo di tutti capi
Capo di tutti capi or capo dei capi is Italian for "boss of all bosses" or "boss of bosses". It is a phrase used mainly by the media, public and the law enforcement community to indicate a supremely powerful crime boss in the Sicilian or American Mafia who holds great influence over the whole...
Totò Riina. In the early 1990s his name emerged in statements of some collaborators of justice (pentiti
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...
), such as Gaspare Mutolo
Gaspare Mutolo
Gaspare Mutolo is a Sicilian mafioso, also known as "Asparino". In 1992 he became a pentito . He was the first mafioso who spoke about the connections between Cosa Nostra and Italian politicians...
and Giuseppe Marchese
Giuseppe Marchese
Giuseppe Marchese was a member of the Sicilian Mafia, who turned state witness . Giuseppe Pino Marchese was born in Palermo. His father Vincenzo Marchese was a powerful Mafia boss and his uncle Filippo Marchese was the head of the Corso dei Mille Mafia family.-Early Mafia career:He learned the...
. He substituted Giuseppe Giacomo Gambino
Giuseppe Giacomo Gambino
Giuseppe Giacomo Gambino , also known as u tignusu was a member of the Mafia and head of the San Lorenzo mandamento....
who was jailed in 1986 as head of the San Lorenzo mandamento and on the Sicilian Mafia Commission
Sicilian Mafia Commission
The Sicilian Mafia Commission, known as Commissione or Cupola, is a body of leading Mafia members to decide on important questions concerning the actions of, and settling disputes within the Sicilian Mafia or Cosa Nostra...
.
Police received detailed information from Alberto Lo Cicero, former driver and confidant of Troia. Lo Cicero said that some Commission members of Cosa Nostra, including Riina, met in Troia’s villa in San Lorenzo. Lo Cicero became a pentito in August 1992 after surviving an ambush on December 20, 1991, and the killing of Antimafia judges Giovanni Falcone
Giovanni Falcone
Giovanni Falcone was an Sicilian/Italian prosecuting magistrate born in Palermo, Sicily. From his office in the Palace of Justice in Palermo, he spent most of his professional life trying to overthrow the power of the Mafia in Sicily...
and Paolo Borsellino
Paolo Borsellino
Paolo Borsellino was an Italian anti-Mafia magistrate who was killed by a Mafia car bomb in Palermo, less than two months after his fellow anti-Mafia magistrate Giovanni Falcone had been assassinated....
in May and July 1992.
Fugitive and arrest
In October 1992, he was indicted for the murder of Christian DemocratChristian Democracy (Italy)
Christian Democracy was a Christian democratic party in Italy. It was founded in 1943 as the ideological successor of the historical Italian People's Party, which had the same symbol, a crossed shield ....
politician Salvo Lima, the right hand man of Prime minister 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...
. His name also appeared as backer of the killing of Mario Prestifilippo
Mario Prestifilippo
Mario Prestifilippo was a member of the Sicilian Mafia.He was briefly the boss of the Ciaculli Mafia Family after Giuseppe Greco was murdered in 1985. He played a significant role in the Second Mafia War of the early 1980s orchestrated by Salvatore Riina...
and Giovanni Fici, assassinated in 1987 and 1988 to prevent retaliation after the elimination of the Mafia killer Pino "Little Shoe" Greco
Giuseppe Greco
Giuseppe "Pino" Greco was a hitman and high-ranking member of the Sicilian Mafia. A number of sources refer to him exclusively as Pino Greco although Giuseppe was his Christian name; "Pino" is a frequent abbreviation of the name Giuseppe.One of the most prolific killers in criminal history, he...
.
He was put on Italy’s most wanted list. Italian police claimed Troia had moved to South Africa where he was being harboured by Salvatore Morettino, a naturalised South African citizen living in Houghton
Houghton Estate, Gauteng
Houghton Estate, often simply called Houghton is a wealthy suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, north-east of the city centre. Part of it is located in Region 3, the other part in Region 4 ....
(a wealthy suburb of Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
), according to Western Cape police intelligence in a March 1998 briefing. He was also in contact with Vito Roberto Palazzolo
Vito Roberto Palazzolo
Vito Roberto Palazzolo is an Italian businessman living in South Africa. Born in Terrasini, he moved to South Africa in the mid 1980s. He also goes by the name Robert von Palace Kolbatschenko. He is alleged to be a member of the Sicilian Mafia, an allegation he denies...
, a Sicilian businessman with ties to the Mafia.
He was arrested in Palermo on September 15, 1998. At the time, he was considered to be the number 3 of the Sicilian Mafia. He was captured on the second floor of a house in the Tommaso Natale neighbourhood in bed with the lady of the house while the woman's husband was asleep in downstairs in a room with her daughters.
Death
Troia died on March 27, 2010, in the prison hospital of ViterboViterbo
See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...
. He participated in or, as member of the Commission, was held responsible for some 40 murders.