Berlusconi’s alleged Mafia ties

Sicilian Mafioso turned snitch Gaspare Spatuzza needs to re-watch a pivotal scene from Goodfellas. While testifying against Marcello Dell’Utri, an Italian politican, Spatuzza dropped a dime on Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for having ties to the Mafia. Spatuzza is serving life in prison for two murders.

Dell’Utri was earlier convicted of Mafia associations and sentenced to nine years in jail, something he is now appealing. He was a co-founder of Berlusconi’s political party, Forza Italia and a senior advisor to the prime minister. As is common for political heavyweights in Italy, Dell’Utri hasn’t served any jail time, despite convictions.  

Spatuzza told his story from behind a screen in the courtroom, testifying that his former employer, mob boss Guiseppe Graviano used to brag about how close he was with Berlusconi in the 1990s.

“Two names were mentioned, one of them was Berlusconi’s,” he said. “Graviano told me that thanks to the seriousness of these people, we had the country in our hands.”

A Berlusconi spokesman denied the allegations, saying the Mafia was trying to harm the prime minister’s credibility because of his recent crackdown on organized crime. Dell’Utri thinks Berlusconi has bigger things to worry about.

“Of course Berlusconi is completely calm about it too – he’s more afraid of his wife than Spatuzza,” he said, referring to Berlusconi’s pending divorce after he allegedly pulled a Tiger Woods.

The mounting pressure against Berlusconi was evident in Saturday’s rally in which tens of thousands came together in Rome calling on the prime minister to resign.

VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images