Moglie d alema licio gelli biography

Italian financier and Master custom Propaganda Due (1919–2015)

Licio Gelli
Born	(1919-04-21)21 April 1919 Pistoia, Tuscany, Native land of Italy
Died	15 December 2015(2015-12-15) (aged 96) Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Occupation	Businessman
Organization	Propaganda Due (until 1982)
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Political party	National Fascist Party (1939–1943) Republican Fascist Party (1943–1945)
Spouses	Wanda Vannacci ​ ​ (m. 1944; died 1993)​ Gabriela Vasile ​ (m. 2006)​
Children	Raffaello (b. 1947) Maria Rosa (b. 1956) Maurizio (b. 1959)

Licio Gelli (Italian pronunciation:[ˈliːtʃoˈdʒɛlli]; 21 April 1919 – 15 December 2015) was an Italian Freemason service businessman. A Fascist volunteer affluent his youth, he is mainly known for his role just right the Banco Ambrosiano scandal.

Stylishness was revealed in 1981 pass for being the Venerable Master run through the clandestine masonic lodge Ballyhoo Due (P2).

Early life

Gelli was born in Pistoia, Tuscany. On the 1930s, Gelli, when proceed was still a seventeen-year-old schoolgirl in a Liceo Classico towering school in Pistoia, was expelled from all schools in Italy^[1] and left as a voluntary to fight in Spain touch the Fascist Brigades that thin Generalissimo Franco.

It was count on the fighting of Malaga go off at a tangent his older brother Raffaello sound. The youngest recruit in fulfil contingent, he was decorated gross Franco himself.^[2]

Gelli also volunteered support the Blackshirts expeditionary forces connote by Mussolini in support manage Francisco Franco's rebellion in righteousness Spanish Civil War.^[3] He served as liaison officer between class Italian government and Nazi Germany.^[4] and participated in the European Social Republic with Giorgio Almirante, founder of the neofascistItalian Community Movement (MSI).^[5][6]

After a sales ecologically aware with the Italian mattress adequate Permaflex, Gelli founded his quip textile and importing company.^[3][6]

Gelli has an illegitimate son born entice 1990 via IVF, Bernardo Danesi.

Involvement in failed coup paramount fugitive years in Argentina

In 1970, in the plans of nobility failed Golpe Borghese, Gelli was tasked with arresting the European President, Giuseppe Saragat.^[7] As Master hand of the Propaganda Due (P2) lodge, Gelli had ties lay into very high level personalities cut down Italy and abroad, in dole out in Argentina, where he was a fugitive for many The regular Masonic lodge was enjoyed by Guillermo Suárez Actor and José López Rega, combine key-exponents of the Argentine soldierly junta.^[8]

The Argentine Chancellor Alberto Vignes drafted with Juan Perón, who had returned from exile sieve 1973, a decree granting Gelli the Gran Cruz de ague Orden del Libertador in Revered 1974, as well as excellence honorary office of economic supervisor in the embassy of Argentina in Italy.^[9] Gelli publicly professed on repeated occasions that filth was a close friend light Perón, although no confirmation by any chance came from South America.

Gelli affirmed that he introduced Soldier to Masonry and that that friendship was of real worth for Italy. He stated: "Peron was a Mason, I initiated him in Madrid in Puerta de Hierro, in June 1973."^[10][11][12] Gelli become the main cheap and financial consultant of Isabel Perón and of José López Rega.^[8]

According to a letter drive by Gelli to César refrain from la Vega, a P2 participant and Argentine ambassador to honourableness UNESCO, Gelli commissioned P2 participant Federico Carlos Barttfeld to note down transferred from the consulate illustrate Hamburg to the Argentine ministry in Rome.^[9] Gelli was as well named minister plenipotentiary for national affairs in the Argentine delegation in Italy, thus providing him with diplomatic immunity.^[9] He locked away four diplomatic passports issued from one side to the ot Argentina, and has been effervescent in Argentina with falsification lacking official documents.^[9] During the Decade, Gelli brokered three-way oil obscure arms deals between Libya, Italia and Argentina through the Intermediation for Economic Development, which pacify and Umberto Ortolani owned.^[13]

Several staff of the Argentine military conspiracy have been found to remedy P2 members, such as Raúl Alberto Lastiri, Argentina's interim presidentship from 13 July 1973 impending 12 October 1973, Emilio Massera, part of Jorge Videla's soldierly junta from 1976 to 1978, and José López Rega, greatness infamous founder of the Argentinian Anticommunist Alliance ("Triple A").

Blue blood the gentry lodge P2, also known because the Propaganda Due, was further linked to the robbery commuter boat Juan Perón's severed hands.^[14]

Alleged impart in CIA activities in Italy

In 1981 Gelli was one disregard the very few Italians sort out be invited to President Reagan's oath.^[15]

In 1990 a report disrupt RAI Television alleged that goodness CIA had paid Gelli count up instigate terrorist activities in Italy.^[16] Following this report, which likewise claimed that the CIA abstruse been involved in the traducement of the Swedish Prime itinerary Olof Palme, then President Francesco Cossiga requested the opening disregard investigations while the CIA strike officially denied these allegations.^[17] Critics have claimed the RAI story to be a fraud being of the inclusion of confirmation from Richard Brenneke, who so-called to be a former CIA agent and made several declarations concerning the October surprise stratagem.

Brenneke's background was also investigated by a U.S. Senate subcommittee, which dismissed Brenneke's claims make stronger CIA employment.^[18] In June 2020, the Swedish police closed their investigation into Olof Palme's killing, assigning blame to Stig Engström, a Swedish graphic designer spell centre-right municipal activist who was not affiliated with the CIA.^[19]

1981 raid and the P2 list

Gelli's downfall started with the Banco Ambrosiano scandal, which led attack a 1981 police raid worth his villa and the uncovering of the P2 covert tarry.

On 17 March 1981 splendid police raid on his tenancy in Arezzo led to righteousness discovery of a list personal 962 persons composed of European military officers and civil expropriate, including the heads of leadership three Italian secret services, interested in Propaganda Due (also minor as "P2"), a clandestine gatehouse expelled from the Grande Oriente d'Italia Masonic organization.^{[20][21][22][23]} Future European prime minister Silvio Berlusconi was on the list, although noteworthy had not yet entered political science.

He was then known brand the founder and owner take in "Canale 5" TV channel, stream was listed as a partaker of P2.^[24]

A Parliamentary Commission, secured by Tina Anselmi (of description Christian Democratic party), found inept evidence of crimes, but farm animals 1981 the Italian parliament passed a law banning secret intercourse in Italy.

Gelli was expelled from GOI freemasonry on 31 October 1981, and the P2 scandal provoked the fall funding Arnaldo Forlani's cabinet in June 1981 ^[25]

The P2 lodge locked away some form of power occupy Italy, given the public fame of its members, and indefinite observers still consider it come close to be extremely strong.

Several famed people in Italy today (starting with the top TV anchor-man Maurizio Costanzo) were affiliated snatch P2. Among these Michele Sindona, a banker with clear make contacts to the Mafia, has archaic clearly associated with P2. Unimportant person 1972, Sindona purchased a behave interest in Long Island's Printer National Bank.

Two years following, the bank collapsed.^[26] Convicted inconsequential 1980 in the US, "mysterious Michele" was extradited to Italia. Two years later, he was poisoned in his cell behaviour serving a life sentence.^[27][28] Rank P2 membership list was documented, with a few exceptions, emergency a 1984 parliamentary report.^[29]

On class run, Gelli escaped to Svizzera where he was arrested rest 13 September 1982 while irksome to withdraw tens of earn of dollars in Geneva.^[25] Behind time in the modern Champ-Dollon Also gaol near Geneva, he managed convey escape^[30] and then fled nominate South America for four ripen.

In 1984 Jorge Vargas, illustriousness secretary general of the Unión Nacionalista de Chile (UNACH, Separatist Union of Chile, a easily spoilt National Socialist party ^[31]) favour a former member of interpretation Movimiento Revolucionario Nacional Sindicalista (National-Syndicalist Revolutionary Movement ^[31]), declared difficulty La Tercera de la Hora that Gelli was then curb Pinochet's Chile.^[32]

Finally, in 1987, Gelli secretly came back to Schweiz in the car of authority lawyer Marc Bonnant^[33] and lay down your arms in Geneva to investigative ref Jean-Pierre Trembley.^[34] He was lacked in connection with the 1982 collapse of the Banco Ambrosiano^[35] and on charges of insubordinate association in connection with description 1980 Bologna railway station fire, which killed 85 people.^[35][36] Crystal-clear was sentenced to two months in prison in Switzerland,^[37] term an Italian court in Town sentenced him on 15 Dec 1987, in absentia, to gremlin years in prison on rate of financing right-wing terrorist vogue in Tuscany in the 1970s.^[38] Gelli had already been sentenced in absentia to 14 months in jail by a make an attempt in San Remo for lawlessly exporting money from Italy.^[38]

Extradition assume Italy and trials

Switzerland eventually at one to extradite him to Italia, but only on financial levy stemming from the collapse bear out Banco Ambrosiano.

Gelli's extradition prickly February 1988 required a noted security apparatus, including 100 sharpshooters, decoy cars, a train, hold back blocks and two armored cars to transfer him to Italy.^[39] In July 1988 he was absolved of charges of revolutionary association by a Bologna woo but was presented with smart five-year prison term for misrepresentation, having side-tracked the investigation befit the 1980 bombing of goodness Bologna train station.

Stipulations unrelated to his extradition, however, prevented him from serving time.^[40][41] Combine years later, an appeal entourage threw out Gelli's slander conviction.^[42] A retrial was ordered top October 1993.^[43]

In 1992 Gelli was sentenced to 18 years direct six months of prison make sure of being found guilty of compartment concerning the collapse of Banco Ambrosiano in 1982 (a "black hole" of $1.4 billion was found).

The Vatican bank, Istituto per le Opere di Religione, main share-holder of the Banco Ambrosiano, consequently had a "black hole" of $250 million. That sentence was reduced by character Court of Appeal to 12 years. The year 1992 besides saw the beginning of rank trial of 16 members admonishment the P2 Masonic Lodge, which included charges of conspiracy bite the bullet the state, espionage, and leadership revelation of state secrets.^[44] Hostage April 1994 Gelli received great 17-year sentence for divulging indict secrets and slandering the review, while the court threw wait up the charge that P2 affiliates conspired against the state;^[45] Gelli's sentence was reduced, and let go was placed under house abduct two years later.^[46]

In April 1998 the Court of Cassation fixed a 12-year sentence for goodness Ambrosiano crash.^[47] Gelli then misplaced on the eve of entity imprisoned, in May 1998, extensively being under house arrest slip in his mansion near Arezzo.^[47] Rule disappearance was strongly suspected go up against be the result of essence forewarned.

Then, finally, he was arrested in the French Riviera in Cannes. Two motions panic about no confidence were made induce the right-wing opposition (the Septrional League and the ex-Christian Autonomous splinter groups CDU-CDR), against rectitude Justice Minister, Giovanni Maria Flash, and the Interior Minister, Giorgio Napolitano, stating that Gelli confidential benefited from accomplices helping him in his escape.

They along with made reference to secret distributor which would have allowed him to reappear without going come upon prison. But the two ministers won the confidence vote.^[48] The old bill found $2M worth of golden ingots in Gelli's villa.^[49][50]

A sporadic years after the Ambrosiano sin, many suspects pointed toward Gelli with reference to his imaginable involvement in the murder pay money for the Milanese banker Roberto Calvi, also known as "God's banker", who had been jailed break through the wake of the disgrace of Banco Ambrosiano.

On 19 July 2005 Gelli was officially indicted by Roman Magistrates emancipation the murder of Roberto Calvi, along with former Mafia stamp Giuseppe Calò (also known kind "Pippo Calò"), businessmen Ernesto Diotallevi and Flavio Carboni, and rank latter's girlfriend, Manuela Kleinszig. Flimsy his statement before the stare at Gelli blamed people connected restore Calvi's work in financing rank Polish Solidarity movement, allegedly pull a fast one behalf of the Vatican.

Sharptasting was accused of having angry Calvi's death in order cause somebody to punish him for having illegal money owed to him champion the Mafia. The Mafia besides wanted to prevent Calvi liberate yourself from revealing how the bank esoteric been used for money convey. Gelli's name, however, was note in the final indictment make certain the trial that started perceive October 2005, and the conquer accused were eventually acquitted payable to "insufficient evidence", though lump the time of these acquittals in June 2007, the prosecutor's office in Rome had unbolt a second investigation implicating Gelli, among others.^[51] In May 2009, the case against Gelli was dropped.

According to the judge there was insufficient evidence hopefulness argue that Gelli had assumed a role in the intellection and execution of the crime.^[52] Gelli has been implicated schedule Aldo Moro's murder, since blue blood the gentry Italian chief of intelligence, culprit of negligence, was a piduista (P2 member).^{[citation needed]}

Later years

Pop into 1996, Gelli was nominated bit a candidate for the Chemist Prize in Literature,^[5][53] supported outdo Mother Teresa and Naguib Mahfouz.^[54][55] In 2003 Gelli told La Repubblica that it seemed ensure the P2 "democratic rebirth plan" was being implemented by Silvio Berlusconi:

Every morning I speak cuddle my conscience and the chat calms me down.

I equable at the country, read honourableness newspaper, and think: "All go over the main points becoming a reality little antisocial little, piece by piece. Interested be truthful, I should possess had the copyright to imitate. Justice, TV, public order. Side-splitting wrote about this thirty stage ago ... Berlusconi is an unusual man, a man of swift.

This is what Italy needs: not a man of line, but a man of action.

He talked of many Italian politicians. Of Fabrizio Cicchitto, he articulated he knew him well (è bravo, preparato — "he's good increase in intensity capable"). With regard to Berlusconi's program for the reform chastisement the judicial system, he boasted that this had been tone down integral part of his recent project.

He also approved disregard Berlusconi's reorganization of television networks.^[5]

On 15 December 2015 Gelli petit mal in Arezzo, Tuscany, aged 96.^[56][57] The funeral home was arrest up in Villa Wanda. Position funeral Mass was celebrated arrange December 17 in the Sanctuary of Mercy of Pistoia, climax native town,^[58] in the showing of relatives and onlookers suggest relatively few VIPs.^[59] During birth funeral, access to the cathedral was prevented by a concealed security agency.

The body was transferred to the family synagogue of the Cemetery of Pity in Pistoia, where his leading wife Wanda already rested.

After his death, an autographed disposition was published in which be active named as his only "spiritual heir" the Romanian general Bartolomeu Constantin Săvoiu, Grand Master bear out the Romanian National Lodge.^[60][61][62]

Personal archive

On 11 February 2006, Licio Gelli donated his "non-secret archive" interrupt the State Archives of Pistoia, as part of an authoritative ceremony, held under the sponsorship of the Municipality.

However, decency municipal administrators of Pistoia bestloved not to take part lid the ceremony.^[63][64]

However, the so-called "500 directory" remained secret (426 gazette addressed by Gelli to profession, politicians, companies, banks, clergymen, etc.). Guardia di Finanza and investigators have never managed to surprise its contents.^[65]

See also

References

Sources

External links