Overview

• Ivan Lo Bello died at a Catania hospital on May 28 after a prolonged illness at the age of 62.
• As president of Confindustria Sicilia from 2006, he led a revolt of local entrepreneurs against mafia extortion by introducing an ethical code to expel members who paid protection money.
• He served as president of Confindustria Siracusa from 1999 to 2005 and assumed a national vice-presidency role in 2012 with responsibility for education.
• Former Interior Minister Enzo Bianco praised him as an entrepreneur ahead of his time and a hero in the fight against organized crime.
• Siracusa Mayor Francesco Italia lauded his determination to cleanse the regional economy of criminal infiltration and reinforce a culture of legality.