Diabolik, an Italian Mafia boss, has reportedly died in custody after almost 30 years on the run. According to Italian reports, Diabolik died of natural causes in a Sicilian prison shortly after his life sentence was confirmed.
Born Giosuè Ruoppolo, Diabolik was reportedly the boss of a clan in the Sicilian city of Gela. After escaping from prison in 1990, he became one of Italy’s most wanted fugitives and remained on the run until last month, when he was arrested by the carbinieri in Belmonte Mezzagno, near the Sicilian capital of Palermo.
At the time of his arrest, Diabolik was thought to be in his early- to mid-70s and suffering from several illnesses, including diabetes and heart problems. He had been facing charges related to the Mafia’s so-called ‘revenging killings’ that occurred in the 1990s.
As his health failed, Diabolik was transferred to a prison hospital in Agrigento, where he died in the early hours of Monday morning surrounded by members of his family, Italian media reported.
Diabolik’s death marks the passing of one of Italy’s most notorious mobsters. His career of crime spanned more than four decades, and his penchant for violence and manipulation made him one of the Mafia’s most feared and respected leaders.
