Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
PALERMO – The largest strand of the trial arising from Operation Great Winter, the major raid that in February last year led to the arrest of 180 people in the Palermo area, has ended with 46 convictions and five acquittals. The verdict was delivered at the conclusion of the fast-track trial by the preliminary hearing judge Patrizia Ferro, who largely accepted the requests made by the Public Prosecutor’s Office (represented by the deputy prosecutor Francesca Mazzocco and the assistant prosecutors Federica La Chioma, Gaspare Spedale, Andrea Fusco and Daniele Di Maggio).
In the dock were historic mafia bosses, foot soldiers, women of Cosa Nostra and relatives of the top figures in the districts.
Key names and sentences handed down
Among the leading figures convicted is Giuseppe Auteri, known as “Vassoio”, who was captured in March 2024 after a period on the run during which he is alleged to have continued to run the clan’s affairs. Alongside him, severe sentences were imposed on the heads of the Porta Nuova and surrounding clans:
- Calogero Lo Presti: 20 years in prison.
- Stefano Comandè: 17 years and 4 months.
- Pietro Pozzi: 15 years.
- Cristian Cinà: 14 years.
- Giuseppe Auteri, Cristian D’India, Lillo Fanara, Giovan Battista Marino (b. 1973): 13 years and 4 months each.
- Angelo Costa, Carlo Pellitteri: 10 years and 8 months.
- Tommaso Lo Presti (“il lungo”): 5 years.
- Teresa Marino: 3 years.
In total, 46 defendants were convicted, including relatives and supporters of the mafia families. During the proceedings, the defendant Nunzio La Torre died; the Public Prosecutor’s Office had requested a 16-year and 8-month sentence for him.
Acquittals and the trial picture
The preliminary investigations judge simultaneously delivered five acquittals in favour of the defendants Alfio Pappalardo, Gaetano Fernandez, Gioacchino Di Maggio, Giuseppe D’Angelo and Giuseppe Corradengo, declaring them unrelated to the alleged facts.
The imposing body of evidence that emerged from the Great Winter investigation thus receives its first major confirmation in the first-instance judgment.
