Overview

• Brusca was the mastermind behind the 1992 Capaci bombing that killed Judge Giovanni Falcone and later ordered the kidnapping and murder of Giuseppe Di Matteo.
• He served 25 years in prison followed by four years of supervised release and now lives under a false identity in a protection program.
• His freedom results from Italy’s 1991 pentiti law, which reduces sentences for mafia members who turn state’s evidence—a framework championed by Falcone.
• Victims’ relatives, including Falcone’s sister and the parents of slain security agents, have condemned the decision as a betrayal of justice.
• Prosecutors and figures like former anti-mafia chief Pietro Grasso defend the law as vital for convicting top Cosa Nostra leaders and preventing further attacks.