Editing Roberto Calvi

==Roberto Calvi==
Roberto Calvi (April 13, 1920 – June 17, 1982), dubbed “God’s Banker” for his financial ties to the Vatican, was an Italian banker and the chairman of Banco Ambrosiano, Italy’s second-largest private bank at the time. Born in Milan to a middle-class family, Calvi began his career at Banco Ambrosiano in 1947 after serving in World War II. His ambition and financial acumen led to his rapid rise, becoming general manager in 1971 and chairman in 1975. Calvi cultivated a close relationship with the Vatican’s Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), leveraging it to expand Ambrosiano’s international influence. However, his involvement with the clandestine Propaganda Due (P2) Masonic lodge, led by fascist Licio Gelli, entangled him in a network of corruption, organized crime, and anti-communist covert operations.

==Operation Gladio==
Calvi’s ties to Operation Gladio, a NATO-backed “stay-behind” network established in the 1950s to counter a potential Soviet invasion, were central to his downfall. Gladio, in Italy, evolved into a tool for the “strategy of tension,” orchestrating terrorist attacks to create fear and prevent the Italian Communist Party (PCI) from gaining power. As a prominent P2 member, Calvi facilitated the laundering of funds through Banco Ambrosiano and the Vatican Bank to finance Gladio’s activities. These included support for neo-fascist groups linked to bombings like the Piazza Fontana (1969) and Italicus Express (1974), as well as political subversion to maintain right-wing dominance. Evidence suggests Calvi channeled millions, possibly with CIA backing, to Gladio operatives, with P2 serving as a coordinating hub for these efforts. His financial maneuvers also supported international anti-communist causes, such as funding Solidarity in Poland and anti-leftist regimes in Latin America, often through P2’s global network.

The collapse of Banco Ambrosiano in 1982, with a $1.3 billion shortfall, exposed Calvi’s illicit dealings, including loans to shell companies tied to P2 and the Vatican. Facing investigations and fearing exposure of P2 and Gladio’s secrets, Calvi fled Italy in June 1982. Days later, he was found hanging under Blackfriars Bridge in London, initially ruled a suicide but declared a murder in 2002 after forensic evidence showed he was killed. Investigations pointed to P2, the Mafia, and possibly Gladio operatives, as Calvi’s knowledge of their operations posed a threat. His death, alongside the murders of other P2-linked figures like journalist Carmine Pecorelli, underscored the lethal stakes of his involvement in Italy’s shadowy nexus of finance, Freemasonry, and covert warfare.