The Mind Behind the Anti-Mafia Pool
Cesare Terranova was born in Petralia Sottana on August 15, 1921, into a family closely connected to the world of justice. His father, a magistrate, represented an early model, shaping his path even before it truly began. After the war and a period of imprisonment, he entered the judiciary in 1946. His early career took him through Messina, Rometta, and Patti, in a quiet and steady path, far from public attention. But it was his transfer to Palermo in 1958 that marked a decisive turning point.
At the Court’s Investigative Office, he found himself facing a complex reality where the Mafia was already deeply rooted, yet still difficult to define in legal terms. Terranova was among the first to attempt to give structure to this reality, working to reconstruct connections, responsibilities, and internal dynamics. His investigations led to major trials, including those against Angelo La Barbera and the Corleone group led by Luciano Liggio. These were ambitious proceedings, aiming to strike at the Mafia as an organization. However, the results were disappointing. Acquittals and reduced sentences revealed a system that was still unprepared to confront Cosa Nostra.
During those years, the first attempts at collaboration with justice began to emerge. Testimonies from figures like Luciano Raia and Serafina Battaglia represented important steps forward, but they were not yet enough to sustain solid prosecutions. There was still a lack of method, structure, and a broader vision. Despite this, Terranova did not step back. He continued his work with determination, maintaining a clear and consistent approach. His persistence eventually led to a significant result: the life sentence of Luciano Liggio for the murder of Michele Navarra. It was an important victory, but also one that made him a marked target.
In 1971, he was appointed Chief Prosecutor in Marsala. There, he continued to demonstrate his rigor, handling complex cases with clarity, including the investigation known as the “Monster of Marsala.” In a climate filled with pressure and confusion, he remained focused on evidence, ultimately identifying the perpetrator.
Alongside his judicial work, he also entered politics. He was elected to Parliament and became a member of the Anti-Mafia Commission, where he played a key role in exposing one of the most sensitive issues of the time: the connections between Mafia and politics. His positions were clear, often uncomfortable, and broke through a silence that had protected many.
After his parliamentary experience, he returned to the judiciary. In 1979, he came back to Palermo, destined to take on a central role within the Investigative Office. It was a tense and dangerous time. Terranova was fully aware of the risks, yet he chose to continue.
| He was among the first to understand that the Mafia was not a series of crimes, but a system — and that fighting it required a new way of thinking justice.
On the morning of September 25, 1979, while on his way to work, he was ambushed. His car was blocked and hit by gunfire. With him died Marshal Lenin Mancuso, who had been part of his escort for years. It was not just the killing of a magistrate. It was an attack on one of the first men of the State who had tried to confront the Mafia as an organized structure. For years, the truth struggled to emerge. Early trials failed to deliver definitive justice. Only much later, thanks to the testimony of informants, those responsible — both masterminds and executors — were identified and convicted.
Cesare Terranova’s story belongs to a time when tools were limited, knowledge was incomplete, and the fight against the Mafia was still in its early stages.
But for this very reason, his role carries even greater weight.
He was among the first to see clearly what others were not yet ready to face – and to act on it.
His work made him a target.
The assassination of Cesare Terranova →