Overview
- Giuseppe Di Matteo, 12, was abducted in Sicily in 1993 by Cosa Nostra members posing as police to pressure his father, informant Santino Di Matteo.
- He was held for 779 days, beaten and starved, with photos sent to his father as intimidation during a wider anti‑Mafia crackdown.
- Giovanni Brusca ordered the 1996 killing with the phrase “Get rid of the puppy,” after which the boy’s body was dissolved in acid, a tactic known as lupara bianca.
- The operation is tied to Brusca and Cosa Nostra boss Salvatore ‘Toto’ Riina, whose campaign included the 1992 bombing that killed Judge Giovanni Falcone.
- Brusca admitted involvement in over 100 murders, later published graphic boasts, was released in 2021 after serving his sentence, and the family had previously been awarded over €2.2 million in damages in 2018.