Giovanni Grizzaffi, dear nephew of Totò Riina, dies in Corleone

Last Updated: October 7, 2023

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Giovanni Grizzaffi, 74, nephew of mafia boss Totò Riina, was released from prison in 2017 after being arrested in 1993. He died in Corleone from an incurable illness in early summer. The news was not widely known, but remained within the town and among the locals and investigators. Grizzaffi was highly esteemed by Riina, and his name was mentioned as a potential successor in the Cosa Nostra after his release. He was referred to as the “man of providence” in intercepted phone conversations, as he was the only one capable of challenging the dominance of former boss Rosario lo Bue in Corleone. However, some intercepted conversations indicated opposition to his leadership role. In Corleone, Giuseppe Salvatore Riina (Salvuccio), the boss’s son who has been convicted of mafia-related crimes, lives with his mother Ninetta Bagarella, 79, sister of notorious killer Leoluca. Salvuccio identifies himself as a writer after publishing a book about his family’s history. His sister, Lucia, returned from Paris after her dream of starting a new life and managing a restaurant there did not come true. Another daughter of Bagarella and Riina, Maria Concetta, reportedly lives in Puglia with her husband. Their other son, Giovanni, is serving a life sentence for murders.