The life sentence for the Palermo boss becomes definitive Domenico Virga, considered a prominent element of Cosa Nostra in the district of San Mauro Castelverde-Gangi, accused of being among the instigators of the murder of Francesco Costanza, originally from Tusa, killed on 29 September 2001 on the road between San Fratello and Acquedolci, in the Messina area.
The first section of the Court of Cassation has in fact rejected the defense appeal presented by his lawyers, the lawyers Salvatore Silvestro of Messina and Valerio Vianello of Rome. The attorney general also expressed himself in this sense, deeming the four repentants who had made statements about this execution perfectly credible, and above all underlining the top position held by the boss in relation to the territory of influence.
Costanza would have died for having asked for the “fixing” of some companies that worked on the Nebrodi but were already “protected” by the Palermo Cosa Nostra, and also for having retained part of the extorted sums. Virga is considered one of the leaders of the Palermo Cosa Nostra, nephew and successor in command of the “great father” Giuseppe Farinella, for decades at the undisputed top of the San Mauro Castelverde mafia district.
According to the prosecution, the murder was decided during a mafia summit which took place in an abandoned farmhouse in Tusa. The person who spoke most recently about the crime was the Tortorician justice collaborator Carmelo Barbagiovanni “muzzuni”, considered a leading exponent of the Batanesi mafia group. Years ago, however, collaborators Carmelo Lavorano, former boss of the Mazzarroti group, and Nino Giuffrè “manuzza”, Bernardo Provenzano’s right-hand man, also made statements. Barbagiovanni was sentenced to 8 years for this execution on appeal, given that he accused himself of having been one of the killers who made up the fire commando.
Francesco Costanza was killed on 29 September 2001 on land in Contrada Cartolari between San Fratello and Acquedolci. He was hit by several 7.65 caliber pistol shots and was stoned.
