Cesare Manzella
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Cesare Manzella | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 December 1897 |
| Died | 26 April 1963 (aged 65) Cinisi, Sicily, Italy |
| Occupation | Mafioso |
Cesare Manzella (Italian pronunciation: [ˈtʃeːzare manˈdzɛlla, ˈtʃɛː-]; 18 December 1897 – 26 April 1963) was a boss in the Sicilian Mafia who sat on the first Sicilian Mafia Commission. He was the head of the Mafia family in Cinisi, a small seaside town near the Punta Raisi Airport. As the airport was in their territory it was an invaluable asset for the import and export of contraband, including narcotics. His deputy was Gaetano Badalamenti.[1]
After a stay in the United States, where he had spent many years organising gambling houses in Chicago, Manzella settled back in Cinisi after he was expelled by US authorities in 1947. In Cinisi he owned an extensive citrus plantation. Manzella was described as a “violent and bullying individual”, by the local Carabinieri. “He is cunning and has a well-developed organisational ability, which enables him to enjoy an undisputed ascendancy over local criminals and mafiosi.” [2] Not only in Cinisi but also in the surrounding communities Carini, Torretta, Terrasini, Partinico, Borgetto and Camporeale. He was a member of the first Sicilian Mafia Commission that was established in 1958.
Manzella loved to show off as a benefactor. As he strolled down the narrow streets of Cinisi, wearing his wide-brimmed American-style hat, he would hand out pocketfuls of sweets to orphans and street rascals. He devoted a proportion of his illicit profits to building an orphanage. His charity was rewarded by his election as president of the Azione Cattolica (Catholic Action) in Cinisi.[1][3]