Giorgio Ambrosoli

Giorgio Ambrosoli (October 17, 1933 – July 11, 1979) was an Italian lawyer whose courageous investigation into the financial crimes of banker Michele Sindona led to his assassination by a Mafia hitman. Appointed as the liquidator of Sindona’s Banca Privata Italiana, Ambrosoli uncovered extensive evidence of fraud, money laundering, and corruption, exposing connections between organized crime, high finance, and political figures. His unwavering commitment to justice, despite threats and attempts at bribery, made him a symbol of integrity and civic heroism in Italy.

Early Life and Education

Giorgio Ambrosoli was born in Milan, Italy, on October 17, 1933, into a conservative, Catholic bourgeois family. His father, Riccardo Ambrosoli, was a lawyer employed at the legal office of the Cassa di Risparmio delle Provincie Lombarde, and his mother was Piera Agostoni. Raised with a strong Catholic education, Giorgio attended the Liceo Classico Manzoni in Milan, where he struggled academically and had to repeat his final year. During this time, he became involved with a group of monarchist students, leading him to join the Unione Monarchica Italiana, reflecting his early conservative leanings.

In 1952, Ambrosoli enrolled in the Faculty of Law at the University of Milan, following in his father’s footsteps. He graduated in 1958 with a thesis on the Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura (High Council of the Judiciary) in constitutional law. After passing the bar exam, he began his legal career as a trainee in the law firm of Cetti Serbelloni, focusing on commercial and corporate law.

Early Career

In 1964, Ambrosoli gained significant experience in corporate and bankruptcy law when he was invited to assist the liquidators of the Società Finanziaria Italiana. This role honed his professional skills and deepened his sense of justice, preparing him for the challenges he would later face. By the early 1970s, he had established himself as a competent lawyer with a reputation for integrity.

Appointment as Liquidator of Banca Privata Italiana On September 27, 1974, Ambrosoli was appointed by Guido Carli, the Governor of the Bank of Italy, as the sole liquidator of Banca Privata Italiana (BPI), a bank formed in August 1974 from the merger of Banca Privata Finanziaria and Banca Unione, both controlled by Sicilian banker Michele Sindona. The appointment came after the discovery of severe financial irregularities, including a massive deficit in BPI’s balance sheet.

Ambrosoli quickly realized the gravity of the situation. Sindona had used BPI and its predecessor banks to engage in fraudulent activities, including falsifying accounting records, illegally exporting currency, and laundering money for the Sicilian Mafia. Through his holding company, Fasco AG, Sindona siphoned off depositors’ funds to acquire other banks and companies, creating a complex web of illicit financial operations. Ambrosoli meticulously documented these crimes in a 2,000-page report, reconstructing Sindona’s manipulations and ordering the suspension of his operations.

His investigation also uncovered Sindona’s role in the collapse of the Franklin National Bank in the United States, for which he provided critical evidence to the U.S. Justice Department. Ambrosoli revealed that Sindona had paid a $5.6 million commission to “an American bishop and a Milanese banker,” later identified as Paul Marcinkus of the Vatican Bank and Roberto Calvi of Banco Ambrosiano, implicating high-level figures in the scandal.

Threats and Resistance

As Ambrosoli’s investigation progressed, he faced intense pressure to abandon his work. Sindona and his associates attempted to bribe him, offering substantial sums to falsify his findings, but Ambrosoli refused. These attempts soon escalated into explicit threats. In June 1979, a dismantled 7.65mm pistol was found in a trash bin near BPI’s offices, a clear Mafia warning interpreted as “we’ll cut you to pieces.” Ambrosoli also received threatening phone calls, including one from American hitman William Joseph Arico, who invoked the name of Giulio Andreotti, a powerful Christian Democrat politician close to Sindona.

Despite the dangers, Ambrosoli remained resolute. He wrote a poignant letter to his wife, Anna Lorenza (Annalori), expressing his awareness of the risks: “Whatever happens, you know what you must do and I am certain you will do it perfectly. You will raise the children and bring them up in the respect of those values in which we have believed… It will be a hard life for you, but you are such a fine person that you will always manage and do your duty, whatever the cost”. This letter, later published, underscored his sense of duty and moral conviction.

Assassination

On July 11, 1979, hours after concluding meetings with U.S. and Italian authorities for a judicial inquiry (rogatoria) in Milan, Ambrosoli was gunned down outside his home at Via Morozzo della Rocca The killer, William Joseph Arico, an American Mafia hitman hired by Sindona, approached Ambrosoli, confirmed his identity, apologized, and shot him three times in the chest with a .357 Magnum. Ambrosoli died on the doorstep of his home. Arico fled to the United States the next morning.

The murder took place shortly after Ambrosoli’s discussions with Palermo police chief Boris Giuliano, who had uncovered evidence of Sindona’s money laundering through the Vatican Bank and the Mafia’s heroin trafficking proceeds. Ten days later, on July 21, 1979, Giuliano was also assassinated by the Mafia, highlighting the deadly reach of Sindona’s network.

Aftermath and Legacy

Ambrosoli’s funeral on July 14, 1979, at Milan’s San Vittore Church was notably devoid of government officials, reflecting the political sensitivity of his work. However, Bank of Italy Governor Paolo Baffi, future President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, and several Milanese magistrates attended, signaling support from key institutions. Ambrosoli was posthumously awarded Italy’s Gold Medal for Civic Valor for his sacrifice.

Sindona was convicted in 1980 in the U.S. on 65 counts of fraud and related charges. In 1986, he and Robert Venetucci, who facilitated Arico’s involvement, were sentenced to life imprisonment in Italy for ordering Ambrosoli’s murder. On March 18, 1986, two days after his conviction, Sindona died after drinking cyanide-laced coffee in Voghera prison, with most sources suggesting suicide.

Ambrosoli’s assassination exposed the nexus of Mafia, finance, and politics in Italy, including ties to the secretive Propaganda Due P2 Masonic Lodge, the Vatican Bank, and figures like Andreotti, who infamously remarked in 2010 that Ambrosoli “was a person who, in Romanesque words, was looking for it”. This comment sparked widespread outrage, underscoring Ambrosoli’s moral contrast with the era’s corrupt elite.

Personal Life

In the early 1960s, Ambrosoli married Anna Lorenza (Annalori) Gorla in Milan’s San Babila Church. The couple had three children: Francesca, Filippo, and Umberto. Ambrosoli was a devoted family man, deeply involved in his children’s education, supporting their schools, scouting activities, and parish life. His Catholic faith and sense of duty shaped both his personal and professional conduct.

Recognition and Cultural Impact

Initially overlooked, Ambrosoli’s legacy grew over time. Key tributes include:

Literature: Corrado Stajano’s 1991 book Un eroe borghese (A Bourgeois Hero) inspired a 1995 film of the same name, directed by Michele Placido. Umberto Ambrosoli, Giorgio’s son, published Qualunque cosa succeda (Whatever Happens) in 2009, a memoir based on family memories, his father’s diaries, and legal documents, winning the Tiziano Terzani and Capalbio prizes.

Media: A 2014 RAI mini-series, Qualunque cosa succeda, starred Pierfrancesco Favino as Ambrosoli, adapted from Umberto’s book. A 2019 TV movie, Giorgio Ambrosoli – Il prezzo del coraggio, further honored his story.

Memorials: Milan dedicated a small square to Ambrosoli in 2000 and placed a plaque at his home in 2014. The Associazione Civile Giorgio Ambrosoli, founded in 2011 with Umberto as honorary president, promotes his values of legality and civic responsibility.

For further details, see Umberto Ambrosoli’s Qualunque cosa succeda or the Associazione Civile Giorgio Ambrosoli’s initiatives (https://www.associazionegiorgioambrosoli.it/).