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Bontade Mafia family
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The Bontade Mafia family is a Sicilian criminal organization in the city of Palermo, Sicily. The crime family is one of the most powerful mafia families in Sicily, going back to the early 1940s. The Bontade Family History Francesco Paolo "Don Paolino" Bontade was the first official mafia boss of Santa Maria di Gesu, one of the most powerful mafia families of the Sicilian Mafia. Born in 1914, he worked with his father as a farmer and ran the fields around the Villagrazia, Santa Maria di Gesu and Guadagna districts, which were rural neighborhoods until they were obsorbed into the city of Palermo in 1960. His father Salvatore was a close associate of local mafia boss Andrea Messina. On March 15, 1939, Salvatore was murdered by a Messina gunmen for allegedly speaking out against him. Bontade and a few other farmers organized a group to seek vengeance on Messina and his members. On March 18, 1942, Bontade finally had his wish, when he killed Messina and his underboss Carlo Testa. With the help of Calogero Vizzini, one of the most influential mafia bosses of Sicily Bontade was able to form his own Mafia family. Stefano Bontade Boss 1964 Stefano Bontade succeeded his father as the boss of Santa Maria di Gesu after his father stepped down in 1964 because of ill-health (he suffered from diabetes). The Sicilian Mafia was going through a tough situation during this time. A bloody external struggle (known as the first mafia war) started with the Ciaculli massacre in June 1963 that killed seven cops sent down to stop it. In the beggining of the 1970s Stefano took part in the triamvirate, with Gaetano Badalamenti and Luciano Leggio, which ran the Sicilian La Cosa Nostra for a few years, before the commission was reorganized in December 1970. Thanks to his politics and freemasons connections, Stefano was a real authority inside cosa nostra: he was close friends with Salvo Lima, once Palermo's mayor, and knew Giulio Andreotti, before he became Prime Minister. However, when his power seemed untouchable, an enemy was rising within, the "Corleonesi" lead by Toto Riina. They wanted to replace him and take over the Sicilian Mafia. The Second Mafia War The second mafia war was just as bloody as the first one. It started in January 1981 and reached the top on April 23, 1981, when Stefano was shot to death while he was driving his car in Palermo. After his murder 895 other mobsters were killed in the Palermo area from 1981 to 1983. Tommaso Spadaro New Boss 1981 A loyal Caporegime Tommaso Spadaro was selected the new boss of the Bontade Mafia Family in 1981. On July 5, 1985, Spadaro and many other mobsters were arrested for being involved in a drug smuggling ring. Three days later, inspector Beppe Montana of Palermo was murdered for being the head officer in charge of the investigation. See Also
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