Former Police Official Under House Arrest in Ongoing Mafia Investigation Linked to 1980 Murder

The Palermo prosecutor's office has successfully sought house arrest for Filippo Piritore, a former police official accused of obstructing the investigation into the murder of Piersanti Mattarella, the late president of the Sicilian Region and brother to the current Italian president. Mattarella was assassinated in 1980 while sitting in his car outside his home, and his murder has remained one of Italy's most infamous unsolved cases. Although the true perpetrators have never been definitively identified, it has been established through previous trials that the assassination was carried out under the direction of the mafia, leading to the conviction of several mafia bosses. Now retired, Piritore previously held positions including questore and prefetto in various Italian cities. His house arrest is part of an ongoing investigation that commenced in 2017, in which the Palermo prosecutors aim to uncover alleged institutional corruption. They believe that certain individuals within the police force have compromised the investigation in a bid to prevent the identification of the true murderers. Central to the allegations against Piritore is a critical piece of evidence: a leather glove found in the car used by the attackers on Mattarella. The glove is one of the few tangible pieces of evidence from the crime scene and is deemed crucial for understanding the circumstances of the murder. Piritore had testified in 2024 that he was responsible for handling this evidence and detailed various stages of its journey after being discovered. However, the prosecution has questioned the credibility of his account, suggesting it is implausible due to significant inconsistencies. Piritore claims the glove was passed between offices in a disorganized manner that deviated from standard procedures. Additionally, other officials whom Piritore stated had received the evidence have publicly denied ever seeing it. There is also a lack of any documented evidence of the process he described in the original records of the 1980 investigation. This ongoing case has intensified the scrutiny surrounding historical investigations into organized crime in Italy, illustrating how past cases continue to reverberate into the present, raising questions about accountability and transparency within law enforcement agencies. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2