Rome
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi once considered cooperating with the Mafia to protect his son, according to wiretap transcripts printed in Rome’s La Repubblica this week. In 1988, when prosecutors were tapping his phone, Berlusconi told a friend that the Cosa Nostra had threatened to send him his son Piersilvio’s head unless he did something for them. “If I was sure of getting this thing off my balls, I would pay peacefully,” Berlusconi said. Instead, he sent his children to safety in America. The transcripts were used as evidence in the trial last year of Berlusconi’s top business partner, Marcello dell’Utri, who was sentenced to nine years for “Mafia associations.” Italian newspapers are now asking why Berlusconi never reported the threats to the police—and what it was the Mafia wanted him to do.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The struggles of Aston MartinIn the Spotlight The car manufacturer, famous for its association with the James Bond franchise, is ‘running out of road’
-
The end of ‘golden ticket’ asylum rightsThe Explainer Refugees lose automatic right to bring family over and must ‘earn’ indefinite right to remain
-
Grecotel Luxme Dama Dama: Greek luxury with a breezy beach vibeThe Week Recommends Rhodes is reimagined in this refined and relaxed resort
