Bernardo Provenzano
| Bernardo Provenzano | |
|---|---|
| Born |
31 January 1933 Corleone, Sicily, Italy |
| Died | 13 July 2016 (aged 83) Milan, Italy |
| Cause of death | Complications from bladder cancer |
| Other names |
"Binnu u tratturi" (Binnie the Tractor) "Zio Binnu" (Uncle Bernardo) "Il ragioniere" (The Accountant) |
| Occupation | Mafia boss |
| Criminal charge |
Mafia association multiple murder jailbreaking |
| Criminal penalty |
Life imprisonment (multiple life sentences related to different homicides and mass murders) |
| Criminal status | Deceased |
| Allegiance | Corleonesi |
| Conviction(s) | Mafia association, multiple murder, jailbreaking |
Bernardo Provenzano (Italian pronunciation: [berˈnardo provenˈtsaːno]; 31 January 1933 – 13 July 2016) was a member of the Sicilian Mafia (Cosa Nostra) and was suspected of having been the head of the Corleonesi, a Mafia faction that originated in the town of Corleone, and de facto capo di tutti capi (boss of all bosses) of the entire Sicilian Mafia until his arrest in 2006.
His nickname was Binnu u tratturi (Sicilian for "Binnie the tractor") because, in the words of one informant, "he mows people down." Another nickname was The Accountant due to his apparently subtle and low-key approach to running his crime empire, at least in contrast to some of his more violent predecessors.
He was born and raised in Corleone, the third of seven brothers, born to peasants. Provenzano left school at ten without finishing primary education, and worked in the fields. He joined the Mafia in his late teens. At the time, Michele Navarra was the head of the Mafia Family of Corleone, but Provenzano became close to Luciano Leggio, a young and ambitious mobster. Navarra and Leggio went to war against each other in the mid-1950s.
In August 1958, Provenzano was one of the 14 gunmen who backed Leggio in the ambush and murder of Michele Navarra. Leggio subsequently became the head of the Family. Over the next five years, Provenzano helped Leggio hunt down and kill many of Navarra's surviving supporters. In May 1963, Provenzano went on the run after a failed hit on one of Navarra's men – at this point, he was not running from the police but from Mafia vendetta. Leggio said of Provenzano: "He shoots like a god, shame he has the brains of a chicken..." On 10 September 1963, an arrest warrant was issued against Provenzano for the murder of one of Navarra's men. Provenzano now also had to run from the police along with most of the rest of the Corleonesi. Leggio went to prison for murder in 1974, effectively leaving Totò Riina in charge. Provenzano became the second in command of the Corleonesi, Riina's right-hand man.
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