Former mafia boss Giovanni Brusca testifies on 1990s political ties in Florence court

Brusca's court testimony

Former Sicilian Mafia boss Giovanni Brusca testified on 9 September 2026 in a Florence court during the trial of Salvatore Baiardo. Baiardo, a former ice cream vendor from Omegna linked to the Graviano crime family, faces charges of calumny against television presenter Massimo Giletti and former Cerasa mayor Giancarlo Ricca, as well as aggravated aiding and abetting. Testifying via video link from a protected location, Brusca answered questions from prosecutor Leopoldo De Gregorio regarding Cosa Nostra's relations with Italian politics during the 1990s. Brusca stated that following the 1992 and 1993 bombing campaign, which killed prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, mafia leadership considered framing the political left to assist Silvio Berlusconi's entry into politics.

“In discussions with Bagarella after the 1992 and 1993 bombings, we talked about using them as a political tool, as if they had been suggested by the Left, in order to help Berlusconi and be able to direct his entry into politics.”

Intermediaries, threats, and political projects

Brusca described how Cosa Nostra sought contact with Berlusconi through Vittorio Mangano, whose role as an intermediary had been established by boss Stefano Bontade. According to Brusca, Mangano reported that he relayed messages to Berlusconi through aide Marcello Dell'Utri or other channels. Mangano reported back that Berlusconi conveyed thanks and promised to assist the group as soon as possible. Brusca added that the mafia leadership sent a veiled threat warning that they would carry out additional bombings to create political difficulties for Berlusconi if assistance failed to materialize.

Brusca stated that he had no direct knowledge of Berlusconi's financial or asset dealings before 1993, learning general details later from conversations with other bosses. He asserted that Berlusconi's companies paid extortion money, known as pizzo, without referring specifically to the Standa store in the Brancaccio district of Palermo. Brusca also recounted an initiative by Palermo businessman Gianni Jenna to create a political party named Sicilia Libera between 1993 and 1994. Brusca initially participated in the project but withdrew after two trusted associates investigated and delivered negative assessments. He added that boss Giuseppe Graviano had initially joined Sicilia Libera before leader Leoluca Bagarella dropped the topic.

Berlusconi family and legal defense response

Giorgio Perroni, defense lawyer for the Berlusconi family, rejected the testimony, pointing out that Brusca acknowledged under oath that he had never met or known the defendant Baiardo. Perroni noted that earlier court rulings had already deemed Brusca's statements concerning Berlusconi and Dell'Utri unreliable due to ambiguity and contradictions with established court evidence. He argued that the Florence proceedings against Baiardo, which began in February 2026, have been redirected into an ungrounded trial against Berlusconi and Dell'Utri, neither of whom is a defendant in the case.

Silvio Berlusconi's daughter Barbara Berlusconi issued a statement rejecting the assertions as recycled allegations devoid of factual backing. She emphasized that Italian courts have repeatedly dismissed claims linking her father to the 1992 and 1993 bombings, including a Florence investigation closed in June 2026.

“I find it intolerable that, even today, the implausible and ridiculous statements of people who committed the most heinous crimes, and who speak today as free men, are used to fuel yet another damnatio memoriae against my father.”