Matteo Messina Denaro, also known as Diabolik, was a Sicilian Mafia boss from Castelvetrano. He was considered to be one of the new leaders of the Sicilian mob after the arrests of Bernardo Provenzano on 11 April 2006 and Salvatore Lo Piccolo in November 2007.

Why was Matteo Messina Denaro called Diabolik?

He was also known as “Diabolik”, after a comic book character, for his cunning and ruthlessness. But his power extended farther, including to Sicily’s capital, Palermo, where he was arrested.

Messina Denaro is a fan of Rolex watches, designer clothes, comic books, and video games and has a reputation as a playboy. He was once featured on an Italian magazine cover in dark glasses, looking like a rock star, but his list of victims is long and the crimes he is accused of are horrific.

Messina Denaro was arrested on January 16, 2023, at a private health clinic in Palermo, where he was undergoing treatment for colon cancer. The operation involved more than 100 agents from the Carabinieri, the Italian military police, who raided the clinic and captured him without resistance.