Biography of Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa
The example of a man, the indifference of a
September 27, 1920September 3, 1982
Carabinieri General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, known for his commitment to the fight against terrorism of the Red Brigades before and the mafia then, he will be the victim, was born in Saluzzo, Cuneo, on 27 September 1920. Son of a carabiniere, Deputy Commanding General of the weapon, does not attend the Academy and passes in the police as an officer at the outbreak of World War II. In September 1943 he's serving as Commander in San Benedetto del Tronto, when going through the partisan resistance. After the war with the rank of Captain, marries David F, which will give him three sons, Nando (which will become a politician repeatedly elected parliamentarian), Rita (Note tv presenter) and Simona. After positive experiences in the fight against banditry, in 1949 arrives in Sicily Corleone, to his request. In territory the mafia is being organised and the separatist movement is still strong. Here the captain from the Church is investigating ben 74 murders, including that of Socialist trade unionist Placido Rizzotto. At the end of 1949 the Church indicates Luciano Liggio as responsible for the murder. For great results will receive a silver medal for military valour. It then moved to Florence, then to Como and Milan.
In 1963 he was in Rome with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Then still moves, in Turin, which is somewhat enigmatic transfer: years later discovered to have been ordered by General Giovanni De Lorenzo, who was organizing the "Piano Solo", a coup attempt to prevent the formation of the first centre-left Government. Starting from 1966-to coincide with the release of Dahlan from the gun-and until 1973 back to Sicily with the rank of Colonel, commanding the Legion carabinieri in Palermo.
The results, as you would expect from the Church, there are many: ensures to justice criminals as boss Gerlando Alberti and Frank Coppola. Starting also to investigate into alleged links between the mafia and politics. In 1968 with its departments involved in Belice in relief to people affected by the earthquake: he was given a bronze medal for civil Valour for personal participation "at the forefront" to operations. Investigates the mysterious disappearance of journalist Mauro De Mauro (1970), who shortly before had contacted the Director Francesco Rosi promising material that implied burning issue on caso Mattei (ENI President who died in a plane crash: the aircraft took off from Sicily, crashes while approaching the airport of Linate).
The surveys are carried out a major collaboration between police and police; the police chief in charge is Boris Giuliano, later killed by the mafia. In 1973 the Church was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. A year later is Commander of the military region of the Northwest, which operates out of Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta and Liguria. Select a dozen officers of the weapon to create an anti-terrorism (based in Turin): in September 1974 in Pinerolo captures Renato Curcio and Alberto Franceschini, prominent members of the Red Brigades, thanks also to the infiltration of Silvano Girotto, also known as "frate mitra". The Government entrusted him with special powers: he was appointed coordinator of law enforcement agencies and Information agents to combat terrorism, a special Department of the Ministry of the Interior, created precisely to counter the phenomenon of the Red Brigades who in those years raged, with a special reference to investigative pursuit of those responsible for the murder of Aldo Moro. Thanks to The Church and her reminders to the Government of the country in this period is formalized the legal construct of the turncoat. Relying on common sense, not to mention the actions of infiltration and espionage, arrives to find and arrest the perpetrators of the murder of Aldo Moro and his escort, in addition to arresting hundreds of supporters.
Thanks to his work is returned to the carabinieri renewed trust popular. Although involved in events that shake him, at the end of 1981 he became Deputy Commanding General of the weapon, as was father Roman in the past. Amid controversy continues its work, confirming and consolidating its public image as an officer of integrity. In early April of 1982 by the Church says the Prime Minister Giovanni Spadolini these words: "the current Sicilian Christian Democrat headed to Andreotti would be the" political family "more polluted by contamination of mafia". A month later he was suddenly sent to Sicily as Prefect of Palermo to counteract the occurrence of emergency mafia, while the continuation of investigations on terrorists passes into other hands. In Palermo laments the lack of State support; emblematic and full of bitterness remains his sentence: "they send me into a reality like Palermo, with the same powers as the prefect of Forlì".
Asks to meet Giorgio Bocca, one of the most important journalists of the period, to launch through the media a message to the State, a message that has as its objective the request for help and support from the State. In the interview (August 7, 1982) there is the acknowledgment of the failure of the State in the battle against Cosa Nostra, of collusion and complicity which allowed the mafia to act undisturbed for years. The publication of the article by Mouth does not raise the reaction of the State but rather that of the mafia who had previously targeted the General Officer. It's on the evening of September 3, 1982, Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa is sitting alongside the young second wife (married only a few weeks earlier) Emanuela Setti Carraro, who is driving a A112: in the via Carini in Palermo, the car is flanked by a BMW carrying Antonino Madonia and Calogero Ganci (afterwards regretted), which fire through the windshield kalashnikov AK-47 with a rifle. At the same time the car carrying agent Domenico Russo, the Prefect's driver and escort from the Church, was flanked by a motorcycle driven by Pino Greco, that cold. The papers relating to the kidnapping of Aldo Moro, which the Church had brought to Palermo after his death vanish: it has not been ascertained if were abstracted in the via Carini or if stolen in its offices.
Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa was awarded the gold medal for civil valor to memory, with these words: "Already staunch fighter, which the highest Officer of the Carabinieri, organised crime, assumed the position as Prefect of the Republic, to fend off the challenge from Democratic State, constituting a very serious threat to mafias in the country. Brutally murdered in a cowardly and treacherous ambush, their teeth with brutal ferocity, sublimava with his own sacrifice a life dedicated, with high sense of duty, serving institutions, victim of relentless hatred and violence of those who wanted to fight. " While it is true that institutions were not present in its hour of need and this heavy absence is even burdened on the immediate aftermath of the family since the death, remember this important civil value generations there are Italian character today across the country numerous symbols of gratitude as monuments, Manhattan project of schools, barracks, squares , streets and parks.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.