1993. Geraldo Rivera for his news special “The New Godfathers” is in Palermo, Sicily for an expose on the mob in its current state. We accompany 80 paratroopers, or Carbabinieri, in 4 helicopters for a raid on the legendary mafia-strong district of Corleone.
After the raid and its results the clip moves on to the story of Giovanni Falcone, a man responsible for the roundup of hundreds of high ranking mafia soldiers and contributing to the downfall of American boss John Gotti. A brief clip of an interview with Mr. Falcone is shown.
In 1992, Giovanni was working on a criminal conspiracy linking the Sicilian, American and Colombian crime families. It is believed this led to his execution that same year, involving 22,000 pounds of dynamite and a highway.
The war against the mafia in Italy continues to this day. His story led to a movie being made in Mr. Falcone’s name.