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Taking a stand against the Sicilian Mafia

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Peppino Impastato, violently murdered as result of his opposition to the Sicilian Mafia in his hometown of Cinisi. In a new book to be launched at the end of January, University of Kent academic Dr Tom Behan, tells the story of this unusual man who dedicated his life to opposing the 'Mafiopoli'.

Peppino Impastato was born into a family with strong Mafia affiliations. However, after his uncle was brutally murdered in 1963, he took a very public stand against the Mafia.

According to Dr Behan, an expert on Italian organised crime and whose last book won a national prize in Italy, standing up against the Mafia is not that unusual, with the anti-Mafia movement stretching back to the 19th century. 'Discussions of the Mafia can have an almost racist subtext, suggesting the Sicilians don't resist because they like it or are indifferent. The day-to-day reality of Sicilians' lives are very alien to us. Imagine a small society, split by an invisible Berlin Wall, where neighbours are divided by allegiances and every action has a meaning.'

What was unusual about Peppino Impastato was that his family had Mafia connections. Despite that background, he led a people's movement against the Mafia, launching a national radio programme on which he pilloried both the organisation and its allies in the Catholic Church. He led a number of campaigns including one against the development of an airport runway on land farmed by peasants, a project which stood to benefit Mafia-run contractors. He also ran a campaign to legalise the local building industry, taking it out of the control of the Mafia.

His continued opposition to the Mafia led to his death. As Dr Behan says, 'He was blown up with enough dynamite to scatter him over 300 yards'. The police initially said he was a terrorist, a suicide bomber. It took 25 years and the efforts of his mother and brother and his fellow activists before his killer was brought to justice and the Mafia held to be responsible.

Sadly these problems are continuing, Dr Behan adds. Just last week Salvatore Cuffaro, the president of the Sicilian region - the island's most powerful politician - was given a five year sentence for aiding and abetting the Mafia. However he was back at his desk the next morning, something he is legally entitled to do - until he is convicted on appeal he will not go to jail. His justification for not resigning, such as it is, related to the fact that he was not convicted on the most serious charge, aggravated aiding and abetting of the Mafia.

Defiance is based on exclusive interviews given to Tom Behan by friends and family of Peppino Impastato. It is published by IB Tauris, at £15.99.

Contact: mediaoffice@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 11:20am 28 January 2008