Second Mafia War

Second Mafia War
DateApril 23, 1981–December 1984
Location
Result Victory for the Corleonesi
Belligerents
Corleonesi Mafia clan Inzerillo family
Bontate family
Badalamenti family
Commanders and leaders
Salvatore Riina
Bernardo Provenzano
Leoluca Bagarella
Stefano Bontate  Executed
Salvatore Inzerillo Executed
Rosario Riccobono Executed
Salvatore Scaglione Executed
Total deaths: 1,000+[1]

The Second Mafia War was a period of conflict involving the Sicilian Mafia, mostly taking place from 1981 to 1984 and involved thousands of homicides.[2] Sometimes referred to as The Great Mafia War or the Mattanza (Italian for 'Slaughter'), it involved the entire Mafia and radically altered the power balance within the organization. In addition to the violence within the Mafia itself, there was violence against the state, including a campaign of deliberate assassinations of judges, prosecutors, detectives, politicians, activists and other ideological enemies. In turn, the war resulted in a major crackdown against the Mafia, helped by the pentiti, Mafiosi who collaborated with the authorities after losing so many friends and relatives to the fighting. In effect, the conflict helped end the secrecy of the Mafia.

  1. ^ Scherer, Steve (7 April 2016). "Unrepentant mobster refuses to acknowledge Mafia's existence". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Blood and Heroin: 21 Startling Photos of the Sicilian Mafia in the '80s". 24 November 2016.