Jeweler Mario Roggero, serving 14-year sentence for killing robbers, appeals to Mattarella for pardon from Bollate prison

Mario Roggero, the jeweler whose 2021 shooting of three intruders triggered years of legal and political battle, is now a week into his prison term and has softened his tone toward the head of state. Speaking through a visiting senator, he asked President Mattarella to assess the grace petition with care, beyond the controversies that have surrounded the case.

A conciliatory appeal after a harsh start

Before entering Bollate prison on July 17, Roggero had used sharper words toward institutions. Now the tone has shifted. In a conversation reported by La Stampa, he said he hopes the president will take up his request.

“I hope that President Mattarella will examine the request for a pardon with great attention and humanity, beyond and above the controversies that have marked my story.”

The case continues to generate political debate, amplified by an AI-generated video circulated by far-right politician Roberto Vannacci. Senator Giorgio Bergesio of the League, who has been close to Roggero since the April 28, 2021, robbery, visited him at Bollate on July 25 in what he described as a gesture of personal rather than political solidarity.

Life inside Bollate

Roggero shares a cell with one other inmate and described the daily rhythm: detainees can leave their cells from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. but must stay within the allowed areas. He said he manages to talk calmly with other prisoners, though finding balance in that environment is not easy. The senator, who was received by the prison director Giorgio Leggieri and an educator, found Roggero well-groomed and dressed in jeans and a shirt, trying to keep his morale up.

“From 8 to 21 we detainees can stay outside the cells and move, but always respecting the permitted spaces.”

“I manage to talk serenely with the other inmates, even though in this environment finding a balance in relationships is not at all simple.”

Worry about family and the reopened shop

Roggero is kept informed through phone calls with his wife and daughters, meetings with his lawyers, and television. He knows his shop in Grinzane Cavour has reopened and that his family is running it alone. His main concern now is their safety.

“I know the shop has reopened and I live a bit in apprehension thinking of my wife and our daughters who run it. I worry about their safety; you know that at this moment I am not there and they carry on the business by themselves. That is why every phone call I remind them to be very careful.”

Next legal steps

Two court dates are already set. On September 9 a hearing in Turin will examine the request for home detention. On September 16 the Milan Surveillance Court will hear the optional deferment of the sentence. The pardon petition remains with the president, and Roggero says he wants to stay serene and trusting about what will happen in the coming weeks.

“We embraced, I think with some emotion. He did not expect to see me, but he knew I would not leave him alone.”