Felice Maniero
Felice Maniero (born September 2, 1954) is a former Italian crime boss who was the head of the Mala del Brenta, a criminal organisation based in the region of Veneto throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His nickname is Faccia d'Angelo ("Angel Face"),[1] which he shares with the Milanese mobster Francis Turatello and Camorra boss Edoardo Contini. He was born at Campolongo Maggiore, in the province of Venice. Originally the leader of a small band of thieves, through connections with Sicilian mafiosi in exile in Veneto he was able to expand and enlarge his organization and modeled it after the mafia. He was a prolific drug trafficker and was particularly notorious for taking part in many armed robberies, some with extremely high loots.
Felice Maniero | |
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Felice Maniero in Italy in '80. | |
Born | Felice Maniero September 2, 1954 Campolongo Maggiore, Italy |
Criminal charge(s) | Bank robbery, murder, assault, assault of an officer, grand theft auto |
Criminal penalty | Imprisonment from 1995 to 2010 |
Spouse(s) | Agostina Rigato (divorced) |
Children | Elena Maniero (deceased), Alessandro Biselli |
In February, 1995, Maniero became a pentito (collaborator with Italian Justice), and subsequently helped in dismantling his organization. However, Maniero allegedly continued a number of criminal activities while many of his former henchmen re-organised the Mala del Brenta in order to ensure its survival.
Notes
- Adrian Butler (10 October 2010). "X Factor hopeful Nicolo Festa in link to Mafia boss". Daily Mail.
- "MALA DEL BRENTA / Felice Maniero, torna in libertà. Il ricordo di Michele Festa, poliziotto che lo arrestò". Diretta News (in Italian). 22 August 2010.
- Marino Smiderle (23 August 2010). "Altro che boss del Brenta Da oggi Felice Maniero è tornato un uomo libero". il Giornate (in Italian).
References
- Dianese, Maurizio (1995). Il bandito Felice Maniero, il Cardo editore, Venice.
- Guerretta, Danilo; Zornetta, Monica (2006). A casa nostra. Cinquant'anni di mafia e criminalità in Veneto, Dalai Editore, Milan.
- Zornetta, Monica (2013). La resa. Ascesa, declino e «pentimento» di Felice Maniero, Baldini & Castoldi, Milan.
External links
- (in Italian) A fan site dedicated to the criminal personality of Felice Maniero
- (in Italian) Profile of Felice Maniero