Tommaso Buscetta
High-ranking Sicilian Mafia member who became a key informant.
Tommaso Buscetta (13 July 1928 – 2 April 2000), also known as 'Don Masino' or 'The Boss of Two Worlds', was a high-ranking Italian mobster and a member of the Sicilian Mafia. He became one of the first of its members to turn informant (pentito) and explain the inner workings of the organization. His testimony at the 1986/87 Maxi Trial, the largest anti-Mafia trial in history, was crucial, and he later gave further testimony linking Italian politicians to the Mafia.
- Born
- 13 July 1928, Palermo, Sicily
- Died
- 2 April 2000, Florida, United States
- Field
- Organized crime, informant
- Nationality
- Italian
- Known for
- Becoming a pentito and testifying in the Maxi Trial and Pizza Connection Trial
Lore & Background
Buscetta revealed information to anti-Mafia judge Giovanni Falcone for 45 days, explaining the inner workings and hierarchical structures of Cosa Nostra, including the Sicilian Mafia Commission, in what became known as the 'Buscetta theorem'. He testified in the Pizza Connection Trial in New York in 1985 and at the Maxi Trial in Palermo in 1986, which led to 475 Mafia members indicted and 338 convicted. After the murders of judges Falcone and Paolo Borsellino in 1992, Buscetta gave further testimony to the Antimafia Commission linking Italian politicians to the Mafia, including Giulio Andreotti. He entered the Witness Protection Program in the United States, where he remained until his death from cancer on 2 April 2000, aged 71.
Reader's Guide
Tommaso Buscetta's significance lies in his decision to break the Mafia's code of silence and become a pentito, providing unprecedented insight into the structure and operations of the Sicilian Mafia. His testimony was instrumental in the Maxi Trial, which dealt a major blow to organized crime in Italy. By revealing the existence and workings of the Sicilian Mafia Commission, he helped prosecutors understand the hierarchical nature of Cosa Nostra. Later, his allegations about political ties, particularly involving Giulio Andreotti, sparked major investigations and trials, though Andreotti was eventually acquitted in 1999 of the charge of commissioning the murder of journalist Mino Pecorelli. Buscetta's cooperation marked a turning point in the fight against the Mafia, demonstrating that even high-ranking members could be persuaded to testify. His legacy is complex: a former mobster who became a key witness for the state, living out his final years in hiding under a false name in Florida.
Did You Know?
- He attempted suicide by ingestion of barbiturates after being extradited to Italy in 1984, but failed and then decided to become an informant.
- Buscetta's two sons from his first wife, Benedetto and Antonio, disappeared in 1982 and were never found.
- He was buried under a false name in North Miami, Florida.
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