"This film was shot in Sicily.
In Montelepre, where Salvatore
Giuliano was born.
In the houses, roads, and mountains
where he reigned for seven years.
In the house in Castelvetrano,
where the outlaw spent his last months,
and in the courtyard where
his lifeless body was found one morning. "
In the year 1950, on this fifth day
ofJuly, in Castelvetrano,
on the Via Fra' Serafino Mannone,
in the De Maria courtyard,
lies a male corpse,
apparent age 30 years,
lying in a prone position,
with the left leg extended
and the right leg bent
at nearly a right angle.
The right arm is extended with clenched
fist, and the left is under the chest.
The left cheek lies on the ground.
You mean "rests" on the ground.
Very well. Correct that.
He was wearing the following:
a white cotton undershirt,
a brown leather belt
with gold buckle and pistol holster,
a pair of canvas,
khaki-colored trousers,
striped cotton socks,
civilian sandals with crepe sole.
From the right ring finger
I have recovered
a white metal ring
with a single diamond.
In the trouser pocket I found
a ten-lire bill,
and a photograph
of an as yet unidentified person.
No pictures.
Reporters and photographers
may enter now.
Easy, easy.
His undershirt is soaked with blood,
but there's little on the ground.
It must be underneath him.
Carnemolla, take a picture from above.
Pinciroli.
- Your Excellence.
- Let's keep the photos to a minimum,
and get rid of them quickly.
Gentlemen, that's enough now.
Time to go. You heard him.
You, too!
Gentlemen, close the windows.
Ever since the Allies'arrival
in 1943;
there had raged in Sicily
a passion for separatism.
MIS was the separatist party
that wished to unite the region;
and EVIS was its military arm.
The Americans; the English; landowners
and the Mafia supported the movement.
Many died in skirmishes between
separatists and offiicers of the law.
On September 30; 1945;
the first CLN government
ordered the arrest of the leaders
of the independence movement.:
Finocchiaro Aprile and Varvaro.
We should have achieved independence
before the war ended on the mainland.
Then the government would have been
faced with a fait accompli.
Now it's useless.
The situation gets worse every day.
Either we give up, or we stage
an insurrection right now.
Who's going to stage the revolution?
A bunch of kids?
Right now there are 37 bands
of outlaws in Sicily. Thirty-seven!
They have enough weapons
to fill an arsenal.
And they're not all escaped convicts.
Most of them are victims
of injustice, ignorance and poverty.
They're just waiting for a chance
to get back to civilian life.
That's enough. You know most of us
are against what you propose.
- Talking has gotten us nowhere.
- All right then.
We set up an independent combat unit
and absolve the party
of all responsibility.
Enough of this crap!
Who did Garibaldi use to liberate
Sicily from the Bourbons?
He used the picciotti.
And who were they?
Escapees and bandits.
Sir, we'll have to walk.
That was the agreement.
As long as it's not too far.
No, it's nearby.
October 1945.
Case Vecchie di Sagana;
a few miles from Montelepre.
Representatives of EVIS seek out
the outlaw Giuliano
to offer him the rank of colonel;
the battle flag of EVIS;
and the promise that his name would be
cleared once the separatists have won.
- Where's Turiddu?
- Inside.
Let's go.
Salvatore Giuliano was then 23.
He had become an outlaw at 21.
Caught delivering two sacks of grain
to the black market; he fled;
killed a carabiniere;
and managed to reach the mountains.
Go on in, sir.
Turiddu is expecting you.
Pinuzzo, come here.
Good morning, Don Pie'.
- Where are the others?
- In back of the house.
Good morning.
- Who's he?
- Don Pietro di Borgetto.
- And the others?
- Separatists, like him.
They've hired Giuliano to fight
for the independence of Sicily.
Picciotti; we're all going to be
soldiers now.
Italy let us burn, and now
we're going to answer with fire.
We've made Giuliano a colonel,
so he can fight the Italian tyrants
to gain our freedom,
and so you can go back
to your homes as free men.
Sicily, wake up.
Your shameful slumber
has lasted far too long.
While you've slept,
all has been lost, even your honor.
Now the trumpets ring loud
and you must no longer sleep,
because sleep would mean death.
White roses of Sicily,
you'll be stained red with our blood.
But our sons and our sons' sons
will live in a free land
and will lift their gaze to the heavens
and smile at the future.
DEATH TO THE FASCIST PIGS WHO SUCK
THE BLOOD OF THE SICI LIAN PEOPLE
LONG LIVE I NDEPENDENCE
AND FREEDOM
- Have these things taken away.
- Where to?
We don't know.
To the cemetery.
When will the body be identified?
We don't know yet.
The magistrate will decide that.
Where is the man
who was with Giuliano?
Why are you asking me?
Ask the carabinieri.
He was shot in the heart.
The carabinieri were waiting
in the courtyard.
He came running in
and they shot him.
What about the four shots
in his side and back?
He got those earlier,
during the chase.
- But how did you know -
- You were saying?
How did you know that Giuliano
would be in Castelvetrano?
An informant told us ten days ago
that Giuliano was in the area.
The same informant said Giuliano
was going to escape to America
in a plane on its way from Tunis.
The carabinieri had been waiting
on the Via Cangini since 10:00.
So you even knew Giuliano's
exact route through the streets?
You'll be given all the details
at the press conference.
Two men appeared at the end of
the street. One of them was Giuliano.
The carabinieri ordered them to stop,
and the two outlaws tried to run.
The carabinieri opened fire
and shot him dead.
And Giuliano didn't shoot?
Of course he did.
Bullets were flying everywhere.
- And the carabinieri weren't wounded?
- Not one.
- Do you live here?
- Yes, sir.
So you heard last night.
What happened?
Three revolver shots.
- Only three?
- Yes, sir.
And after a while, a machine gun.
But they said the street was full of outlaws
and carabinieri shooting for an hour.
It's not true. It's all a lie.
The chase, the shoot-out, all that racket -
what time did that start?
We didn't hear anything.
Just three revolver shots,
and about a half hour later,
a machine gun went off.
- And you didn't see anyone go by?
- No, no one went by.
You didn't hear Giuliano go by,
followed by the carabinieri?
Just three revolver shots
and the machine gun.
Could I have a glass?
One for me too, please.
What did you think of Giuliano?
- Took from the rich, gave to the poor.
- That's it?
Yes, sir, that's it.
Where are you from?
- Rome.
What do you know about Sicily?
The only thing we know
for certain is that he's dead.
The eyewitness accounts conflict
with the official version of the facts.
However, if this outlaw lies dead today,
we can thank the carabinieri.
Carry on.
This is the plain around Montelepre;
with one town after another.:
Giardinello; Torretta; Carini;
Partinico; Alcamo.
Andjust a few miles away; Palermo.
The long mountain range of Sagana;
Monte Calcerame and Monte d'Oro.
Giuliano's kingdom; protected
by omerta, passion and terror.
Montelepre lies at the foot
of the mountain.
You can see people in the streets
and hear their voices.
From the terrace ofhis house; Turiddu
receives signals from his mother.
The town is full of carabinieri;
but they can't lay their hands
on the outlaw.
A field radio warns the colonel
of any enemy movement.
Mortar fire and heavy machine guns
protect the small army
of outlaws and separatist fanatics.
From the mountaintop; all movement
is monitored and countered.
Giuliano's guns are trained
on the long; white; dusty roads.
On the other side of Sicily;
the eastern side; in 1946;
a company of soldiers quickly
defeated the separatist rebels.
But the king of Montelepre
remains enthroned in his kingdom.
What are you doing?
Close the shutters!
- What's going on?
- They say the soldiers are coming.
Let's go and see.
Why couldn't they give me
advance warning for once?
The whole town knows before we do!
Of course. Giuliano has a radio,
and we can't telephone Palermo.
- Sir, you're expected at town hall.
- Send Tomasetto and Comito.
Please come in, Major.
These will make fine accommodations
for our headquarters.
I'll inform the mayor right away.
Even the smallest Italian town
can be a museum.
- At your service, Major.
- Come in, Marshal.
I need to house 300 soldiers.
- Where will I put 300 soldiers?
You can commandeer spare rooms
in private homes.
Allow me to advise against
using private homes, Major.
This territory is rather hostile.
We'll discuss the territory
at some other time.
First we have to find
housing for the men.
There is a warehouse,
but it's a ways out of town.
Valle, go with the marshal,
and take two men with you.
- Yes, sir.
- Forgive me if I insist, Major.
Perhaps we should send someone
ahead to let the townspeople know.
- To avoid surprises.
- Enough with the complications. Go.
Of course, Major.
Now I see why they never get
anything done in this place.
Keep close to the wall.
It's safer.
You have to understand the major.
We northerners are out of our element.
- So are we, and we're from here.
- Let's go.
Open up.!
- Who is it?
- We have wounded men here.!
Over there.
Lieutenant.
Hear ye, hear ye!
By order of the army,
a curfew is now in force.
No one may go outside
without permission from the authorities.
Don't shoot unless I do.
Tell the others.
These lunatics are serious.
Damn it! I survived a war,
only to get killed by savages
in this godforsaken wasteland!
Why are they shooting?
Are they outlaws or partisans?
Why doesn't Italy just give
these people their independence?
Why did they send us down here?
One plane would take care of them.
Lieutenant, take them all back.
Boys, we're retreating.
Hear ye, hear ye!
By order of the army,
you have one hour
to get water and shop for food.
In May 1946;
Sicily was granted its independence.
Separatism had not been in vain.
In June; King Umberto II
left the government.
The Italian Republic granted amnesty
for all political crimes.
Even those who had fought for EVIS
were free to return to their homes.
The attorney is expecting you.
You can come in.
- Our respects, sir.
- God bless you, sir.
God bless you, sir.
Bless you, sir.
What do they want from me?
Do they think this is
the carabinieri barracks?
Didn't the prince write in his letter
that we should come here?
- The prince sent us to you.
- The prince!
Now that you're friends with the prince,
you think it's going to be easy.
My dear boys, we'll have to determine
your standing in the eyes of the law.
All these men here, sir,
are sure to receive amnesty.
- You have no common crimes?
- Only political crimes.
We assaulted the carabinieri barracks
and we were at Monte d'Oro.
So Colonel Giuliano gave you
an honorable discharge, eh?
Didn't he give you an Iron Cross?
Giuliano gathered us together
and told us that EVIS was no more,
and that those who had only committed
political crimes could go home.
While he stays in the mountains.
What was this Giuliano hoping for?
Even if the separatists had achieved
a free and independent Sicily,
they wouldn't have kept their promise.
He was an idiot to believe them!
Giuliano fought for Sicily,
and sooner or later his name
will be cleared too. He has connections.
Let him keep dreaming.
If up until now he's been
an outlaw in the mountains,
from now on he'll be an outlaw
in the streets, until they catch him.
No one can catch Turiddu.
Not until it suits certain people.
First you squeeze the lemon,
then you throw it out.
Kidnappings for exorbitant ransoms;
robbery; extortion; blackmail.
These were the activities of Giuliano's
band after the dissolution of EVIS.
How much of the loot went to Giuliano;
and how much to the Mafia?
The protection of the "honored society"
was expensive.
A wall of silence is Giuliano's
most powerful weapon.
Fierce and continuous surveillance
is not enough
to break down the wall
protecting the outlaw.
All this bread for one day?
It's for three days.
Who is this bread for?
Giuliano pays you well for it, eh?
All this water for one day, huh?
This time you got lucky.
You can all go home.
Get out of here.
Donna Maria!
Marshal, knock before you enter.
My daughter is sick!
What have I done, Marshal?
- Move.
- What did I do, Marshal?
Captain, I know
all these people personally.
They have nothing to do with Giuliano.
We're wasting our time.
Marshal, the entire town
is mixed up with Giuliano.
Do you know how many people have died?
Besides, I don't question orders.
Get inside!
- Marshal, what are you looking for?
- I know he slept here last night.
- Go get him, then.
- Shut up, or I'll arrest you, too.
You might as well. You're arresting
the whole town, you cuckolds!
Hurry up. I'm waiting.
- Let's go.
- Move it.
Marshal, he's my only living nephew.
My husband's ill.
Look at him. He's bedridden.
Have a heart!
This boy's father is with Giuliano,
so he's coming with us,
or he'll end up shooting at us.
Enough! Let's go!
- Back inside!
- Let them go!
Get back inside.
Take them away.
Hurry up.
Giovanni!
Get out here.
Hurry up!
You, get down here.
Hurry up.
Come on. Let's move it.
Come on. Let's go.
Hurry up!
- These are the men going to Palermo.
- Yes, sir.
Antonino Terranova, son of Giacomo.
- Here.
- Step out.
Giuseppe Traina, son of Salvatore,
and Salvatore Traina, son of Giuseppe.
Here.
- Step out.
How long will we have to pay for the sin
of being born in Montelepre?
Francesco Paolo Morello,
son of Francesco, step out!
Murderers!
They're going to kill them!
They're taking them to Palermo.
They're murderers!
Brigadier.
Rosario Terranova.
Block that street
with two squadrons. Quick!
Move!
Get back.
My son! Blood of my blood!
Does the magistrate wish to proceed?
Of course.
Make way, please!
Please!
Ma'am, do you recognize your son?
Yes. Salvatore Giuliano.
I gave birth to my son 28 years ago.
My son! My Turiddu!
My Turiddu!
for an autonomous Sicilian government.
The people's party is victorious.
A few months earlier;
a farmers'movement had arisen;
espousing agrarian reform
and the occupation of feudal land.
Hey;you. Come here.
- Do you know me?
- Sure.
You must come with us.
Turiddu Giuliano wants to talk to you.
- Me?
- Yes, you.
- What does he want?
- To talk to you.
- Where is he?
- At the top of the mountain.
- What about my goats?
- Take them back to town.
- Where will I leave them?
- Take this money and hire someone.
Listen: Not a word to anyone,
and come right back.
- What are we still doing here?
- Just wait and be quiet.
- You know how to use this?
- No, I haven't done military service.
I'll teach you.
This is how you load,
and this is how you shoot.
You do this to fire again,
and this way it won't shoot.
Got it?
Let's go, boys.
Stay here with the others.
- What did Giuliano say?
- Tomorrow, May 1 st,
we're going to Portella della Ginestra
to shoot at the communists.
- Why?
- I don't know.
He said the day of our freedom
has come at last.
That's what he wants,
so that's what we'll do.
Comrades, friends, workers,
every May 1 st,
fascism or no fascism,
we've always come here.
There used to be only a few of us,
but now we're a force
to be reckoned with.
And we proved it in the election
for the Sicilian parliament,
with a well-deserved victory
by the people's party.
That was a great first victory,
but it was only the beginning.
And they'll have to do more
than just give us land.
They have to give us
seeds, tools and plows!
We need tools, roads and houses.
They have to give us running water
and electricity in the countryside.
We have to bring civilization
to the rural areas.
We want our children
to learn to read and write,
to defeat the shame of illiteracy.
Because of our ignorance,
we are the victims of injustice.
We are all victims
of the establishment.
We want our children
to learn to read -
Was this one there?
Yes, he was there too.
He was next to me.
He told me to start shooting.
He saw I wasn't shooting and said,
"Idiot, why aren't you shooting?"
Go on.
He snatched the gun from my hand.
He said, "You idiot! You're 20 years old
and you can't shoot a gun!"
He told me to go back to town
and never show my face again.
- How much did Giuliano pay you?
- Nothing.
How many times do I have to tell you?
They only paid those who shot.
I want to go home!
I didn't do anything, Marshal!
Let me go home!
I didn't do anything!
I didn't kill anybody!
I want to go home!
I didn't kill anybody!
Don't waste your tears.
You can thank Giuliano.
Then arrest him,
and not us poor shepherds!
Quiet!
In July of 1950; Salvatore Giuliano
was just a name on a tombstone.
Since the long-ago days
of Portella della Ginestra;
other crimes had been added
to the list of the band's activities.
Giuliano had continued
to kidnap; blackmail and kill.
A hundred carabinieri and policemen
had died fighting him.
Between 1947 and 1949; the government
replaced dozens of politicians
and four top police inspectors;
but the outlaw was unstoppable.
Only a few reporters
had been able to reach him;
to the astonishment
of the public at large.
On August 19; 1949; at Bellolampo;
at the gates of Palermo;
six carabinieri died in an ambush
and 11 more were wounded.
The government
adopted extreme measures
and instituted the Outlaw Repression
Corps; headed by Colonel Luca.
After 11 months;
a large number of the outlaws
in the band were captured or killed;
and Giuliano met his end.
The only one left was Giuliano's
right-hand man; Gaspare Pisciotta.
Ma'am, we know that Gaspare
Pisciotta is hiding in this house.
If you love your son,
tell him to come out.
- What's up there?
- Another attic.
- Sir, we've checked everywhere.
- Nothing.
All right. Let's go.
Give me that.
Let's go.
Take all your men out.
We're not moving.
Sooner or later,
your son will come out.
Ma'am, I'm a policeman,
and I catch my outlaws alive.
Pisciotta, come on out!
We know you're here!
Son, come out,
for your own good!
I want to make a declaration
that will interest the world at large.
I'll question you in good time.
Silence!
Your Honor,
recent newspaper articles suggest
that we should question
the defendant as soon as possible.
Defendant Gaspare Pisciotta
was questioned in Palermo
by the delegate at the inquiry
before the court of appeals.
I didn't say that my client,
Gaspare Pisciotta, should be questioned.
I said that he intends to say things
that I know nothing about.
Pisciotta,
is this statement strictly relevant
to the case we are now trying
regarding the massacre
at Portella della Ginestra?
My attorney will advise the court
as to what I want to say.
These matters have nothing to do
with the case we are trying.
Your Honor, if you don't read it,
how can we determine that?
- Quiet, please.
- Just read the letter.
Quiet.
Take your seats, please.
"Dear Sir, as I see in you
a conscientious and honest man,
and as I trust you implicitly,
please allow me,
as time is of the essence,
to inform you of the following:
As I discussed and confirmed
with authorities,
it was I who killed Giuliano.
I reserve the right to discuss
the matter in court in Viterbo. "
As you can see, this has
nothing to do with our trial.
"Finally, in the evening, Giuliano
gathered us together and spoke.
He said we would shortly
all be leaving with him
to go to Portella della Ginestra,
where, the following morning,
we would fire on some communists
gathering there.
But, unless my memory fails me,
he never explained why
he intended to carry out
this criminal deed. "
I'm reading your deposition
because these are your words.
- I don't remember anything.
- What do you mean?
You even signed it with an X.
Do you recognize this?
All X's look the same.
Did you sign it
before the judge or not?
I'm innocent. I don't even know
where Portella della Ginestra is.
I said those things because
I was afraid they would beat me.
I demand we ask the defendant
how he was treated prior to questioning.
Quiet.
Were you friends with the men
behind these bars?
Were they your friends?
Did you know them?
I don't know anybody.
I've never known anybody.
You were born
and raised in Montelepre.
You must know someone,
if only as a neighbor!
I was raised in Montelepre,
but I don't know anybody!
Very well. Get out of here.
The boy learned his lesson well.
Another X.
You were first questioned
by the carabinieri in Montelepre,
and in Palermo you confirmed
your confession before the judge, right?
I don't know anything. I've never been
to Portella della Ginestra.
That's not true.
That's not what you told the judge.
I'm innocent, Your Honor.
I confessed because they beat me.
I'm innocent!
All right! Go back to your seat.
The entire time I was in jail,
I was never mistreated.
After 110 days of lying on my cot
with my hands and feet bound,
I only asked the marshal
to change my position on the cot.
All of us in the cage are innocent!
I don't know them.
We were all afraid of the carabinieri.
I add my demand to that
of my colleagues.
I demand an inquiry into the treatment
of the defendants prior to questioning.
Thejudge then wrote in his verdict.:
'Abusing those who are at the disposal
oflaw enforcement offiicers
is repugnant to any man of conscience;
but there are certain admissions;
certain stories;
that no amount ofbeating
could induce a man to make up.
Furthermore; there is a pattern
in all these depositions;
proceeding from an initial
full and free admission of the facts
to a categorical denial.
This began with the arrival in court;
on June 13; 1950;
of Giuliano's memoir;
in which he stated that
all the picciotti were innocent;
and that their declarations
to the police offiicers
had been made under duress.
In the memoir delivered to the court;
the strategy for their defense
was clearly outlined. "
Giuliano's statements won't be enough
to clear you of the charges.
Your own confessions,
as well as numerous
eyewitness accounts, are against you.
How can you not understand that
this attitude of categorical denial
can only make your situation worse?
Who fired the shots
at Portella della Ginestra?
When the time is right, I'll talk.
You were so brave when you kidnapped
people right in the middle of Palermo.
You were a real expert
in kidnapping.
Let's see if you can exhibit
some of that courage and be a man.
Tell us which of these men
joined Giuliano
in massacring women and children
during an outing in the country.
I kidnapped people,
but I never made a mother cry.
I won't implicate anyone,
but I strongly hope
that those who were at Portella
will come forward one day and confess.
Will you please tell us who is guilty
and who is innocent in those cages?
If you wait too long to talk,
it won't help you any.
As the trial progresses, Pisciotta,
Mannino and I will try to help the court.
Do you want to tell us
who took part in the massacre?
Absolutely not.
When the time is right, I'll talk.
All right. Go on.
Quiet.
The court is in session.
Defendant Gaspare Pisciotta is sick.
This is the text of the letter
he addressed to the judge:
"My liver is enlarged,
my eyes are yellow and I have jaundice.
I need absolute rest.
I can't take part in the hearing,
but I give my consent for
the proceedings to go on without me.
If, in the meantime, certain persons
whom you know should come forward,
please have someone advise me of it.
In that case I will come to court,
on a stretcher if necessary. "
May I say something, Your Honor?
- What is it?
- I must speak to you.
Approach.
Your Honor, I have to unburden myself
of the weight I have in my stomach.
The time has come to talk.
The men who followed Giuliano's orders
and shot at the farmers are:
Giuseppe Genovesi,
Giuseppe Cucinella...
and Giovanni Provenza.
The other men who shot at Portella
are either dead or still at large.
I heard this from Terranova,
who said Giuliano told him.
He won't talk, so I'm talking.
Go back to your seat.
Terranova, come here.
Take him away, quickly!
Clear the courtroom!
Quiet!
I'm innocent.
Your Honor, I'm innocent.
Even though I'm ill...
I've come here to tell the truth...
about the massacre
at Portella della Ginestra.
A document exists
containing the names
of all the men who, on Giuliano's orders,
took part in the massacre,
and the names of those
who were behind it.
That is Giuliano's real memoir.
The memoir in the judge's hands
is completely false,
and Giuliano was forced to write it.
In it Giuliano omitted the names
of the men behind the massacre,
writing a bunch of lies in their place,
telling me nothing about it
and destroying his comrades' lives!
That's why I killed Giuliano.
But there is another memoir,
the real one,
that I myself delivered
to the carabinieri,
with whom I was collaborating,
because, Your Honor,
I wanted to avoid this scandal.
But it's too late now.
Since I now know they're trying
to screw me over, I make the first move!
Gaspare Pisciotta,
do you realize what you are saying?
I said that I collaborated
with the colonel of the carabinieri,
and that prior to that, the police gave me
a free pass, allowing me to come and go.
Your Honor, we can't sit here
and listen to this mumbo jumbo.
I can prove what I'm saying.
I came here to defend something,
but not myself.
We were all loyal servants
of the separatists and the monarchists.
They're in Rome with their seats
in parliament, and we're in jail!
Murder, kidnapping and blackmail -
now it all becomes political.
I collaborated with the police.
We were all informants.
Outlaws, police and the Mafia -
they were an unholy trinity.
I demand that the defendant
show proof of his assertions,
so we can put an end
to this scandalous outbreak,
intended solely to distract the court
from the defendants' true crimes.
Your Honor, I request new testimony
on behalf of Gaspare Pisciotta.
I, defense for Mr. Pisciotta,
move to subpoena
General Luca as witness
so he can be deposed
as to the following facts:
First, whether, as head of
the Outlaw Repression Corps,
he established a direct relationship
with Mr. Pisciotta
while the latter was a fugitive
from the law. Second -
What was your relationship
with Salvatore Giuliano?
Certain informants arranged for me
to meet Giuliano.
That was on December 23, 1949.
Did you meet Gaspare Pisciotta?
I saw him during that meeting.
Your Honor, I request that
the witness be asked
why he saw fit not to arrest
the two outlaws,
Giuliano and Pisciotta,
during this meeting.
I'm sorry, Counsel, but the question
is not relevant at this time.
Then I would like to know
whether the witness informed the ministry
before or after the meeting.
This question is also irrelevant.
At the end of my term, I notified
the ministry of internal affairs,
and I was told not to persist
with this initiative
because of the formation
of the Outlaw Repression Corps.
But the meeting with Giuliano
took place after the formation -
Counsel, quiet, please.
In fact, although I was no longer
inspector general of the police force,
I continued my investigation.
For this reason I went to Sicily once,
where my meeting with Giuliano
was arranged by intermediaries.
Did Giuliano give you the memoir
regarding Portella della Ginestra?
No. After two months or so,
Giuliano sent me a memoir,
which I sent to the authorities in Palermo.
This is the same memoir
that this court received.
It was missing
the names of the 12 men
who allegedly participated
in the massacre at Portella,
nor was there mention
of anyone behind it.
I believe I can deny the assertions
of the outlaw Pisciotta.
I'm not an outlaw!
Quiet, Pisciotta, or I'll have you
removed from the courtroom.
Can you name the intermediaries?
Of course.
One day I was invited
by a confidant of the commendatore
to attend a meeting
between a certain police officer
and Giuliano and Pisciotta.
When the inspector met Giuliano and
Pisciotta, they embraced like friends.
We can't hear you. Speak up.
I said they embraced like friends.
Where did this meeting take place?
We'll have to put up a plaque.
In a house in Castelvetrano.
There was talk of sneaking the band
out of the country.
Had Giuliano perhaps grazed
in someone else's pasture?
Had he killed someone?
How could you think he could
actually sneak them out of the country?
Your Honor, they embraced.
Whether it was an embrace
of love or hatred, I don't know.
Have you ever heard talk
of a memoir of Giuliano's?
Yes, several times,
but I was never able to get a hold of it.
Pisciotta maintains otherwise.
Following Pisciotta's lead, I sent
one of my men to meet an individual
on the road between Castelvetrano
and Mazzara del Vallo.
That person was supposed
to deliver the memoir.
My man went to the meeting
and met the individual,
who told him he had burned
the entire memoir.
General, were you informed by your men
that Gaspare Pisciotta had a pass
signed by Inspector Messana?
At the time I was told nothing.
When my headquarters were disbanded,
I contacted Verdiani.
I asked him to give me
the names of his confidants,
because they could have been
useful to me.
But Verdiani refused to help me.
He said he didn't have confidants.
So I had to start all over again.
Thus began the rivalry
between police and carabinieri;
and other state
law enforcement agencies.
And now the carabinieri
contacted the Mafia;
whose relationship
with the outlaws is hard to define.
It's unclear whether
they were one and the same thing;
or whether the Mafia
spawned the outlaws.
The commander will see no visitors.
- What news do you have for me?
- Nothing doing.
Then why did you come?
Marshal, believe me:
Giuliano is hiding.
And none of us know where he is.
He's cunning.
He doesn't trust anyone.
I'll pass this on.
Actually, you will. Come with me.
Marshal, if this is a friendly
conversation, fine.
If you want to behave like a cop,
then I don't know anything.
I don't know whether your friends
have informed you,
but it was explained clearly to them.
If you want to go, good.
If not, we'll start with you,
and your friends will follow.
Wait a minute.
Let's discuss this calmly.
Have a seat.
It's in our interest to help you.
Ever since Colonel Luca came,
our business has been bad.
There are too many
carabinieri around.
Giuliano has become
a deadweight even for us,
but we can't give him to you
the way you want him.
Don Nunzio,
we have to capture Giuliano.
Then take our advice.
If you want Giuliano,
first we have to get rid of the others.
There are four of them left.
We can give you one right away:
Franco Mannino.
I'll tell him Giuliano sent you
to take him to his hiding place.
He trusts me like his own mother.
All right?
You decide, Marshal.
When you're ready,
you want him dead or alive?
- This is the friend.
- Good evening.
Are you happy?
Is the colonel happy?
Cut it out. You know very well
what will make him happy.
First the others, then Giuliano.
Marshal, don't be greedy.
We can't do any more for you.
In our world there are only
a few men who want to help you.
We can't give you Giuliano,
nor can we give you anyone else.
- What about our agreement?
- What agreement? Our lives are on the line!
In that case, I'll let Mannino go.
So now I'm the one
you want to see dead.
Where's Don Nunzio?
It's time.
Let's go.
Marshal, you won't need that.
- Where is he?
- Come in.
Hello.
He'll take you to Turiddu.
Good evening.
Don Nunzio, it's getting late.
Let's go, boys.
Quick.
You have to get in here.
- I'm not doing it.
- Get in there, damn it!
Giuliano wants to see you
and I'm responsible for you. Go on!
You too.
Where are Mannino,
Badalamenti and Madonia?
- Why are you asking me?
- Only you knew where they were.
Aren't you going to say anything?
Tell him they made us do it.
Tell him someone sold them
down the river.
Take them to the one who made the deal.
They're the ones who have to talk.
They'll talk. You'll all talk.
Let's go!
Go on. Kill me.
Are you waiting
for Giuliano to come back?
He's not coming back.
Neither are Mannino and the others.
The carabinieri got them.
The two of you can thank me
that you're still alive.
Don't you see that the Mafia
and the carabinieri are in cahoots?
I've been in touch
with the police since 1947.
The police are powerless these days.
The carabinieri hold the cards.
Sooner or later, they're going
to get rid of all of you.
Or at least you,
because Giuliano will save his hide.
You can bet that the Mafia
won't give Giuliano up.
They could have turned him in
or killed him on dozens of occasions.
Why didn't they do it?
They're scared because
he has too much in writing.
You idiot! Giuliano has
been preparing his escape for ages!
He's going to screw all of you,
and you'll be the first!
You're a real snake. First you betray
Mannino and the others,
and now you want to poison
my relationship with Giuliano.
And you're a na:i:ve bastard.
If you were smart, you'd go
right to work for the carabinieri,
without wasting time, while there's
still something to bargain for.
You could do it.
You know everything he knows.
Know what I mean?
Play this card while you can.
In return you'll get your freedom.
Listen to me, Gaspare.
It's either you or him.
Don't you get it?
They're digging your grave!
Think about it.
Why isn't Giuliano here?
We've been waiting for hours.
He's making a deal with them.
You don't believe me, do you?
I have proof.
And I'll show it to you.
You can talk to the marshal,
to the colonel, to whomever you want.
Do you believe me now?
He could be here
in De Maria's house,
but he could be in another house.
I'd better go in first, alone.
- Were you asleep?
- It's after 12:30.
- Your bed's not ready, but -
- That's all right. Thanks.
Good night.
Turiddu.
Don't turn it on. Come in.
- Well?
- I'm not coming.
Sit down.
Read it.
It says you've cut a deal
with the carabinieri.
Whether it's true or not,
if I can't trust you, who can I trust?
And you believe it?
- You have to go inside.
- Who are you?
Carabinieri. Don't argue.
Come on. Hurry up.
Perhaps we shouldn't have let him
go in there by himself.
What have you done?
Go upstairs. He's wounded.
Go with him.
- He's dead.
- Close the window.
What are we going to do?
Mr. De Maria,
Giuliano's clothes.
Quickly.
Go!
Dress him.
Get out or I'll kill you.
Don't leave the building.
We want you at our disposal.
I didn't take Giuliano's memoir
regarding Portella della Ginestra.
I don't know what was in those papers
Giuliano always carried with him.
I don't know what happened
to those papers.
Marotta might know.
He was the one who brought Giuliano
and Pisciotta to my house.
He saw them regularly.
He even came to my house
and saw Giuliano the night he died.
Your Honor, I'd like to point out
that when he was questioned,
Marotta denied this.
Put Marotta on the stand again
and let's see who's telling the truth.
Mr. De Maria is a victim of Giuliano,
of the Mafia
and of the lawyers defending him.
Pisciotta, quiet!
With your permission,
I'll just be going.
I'd like to point out that
Mr. De Maria maintains that,
contrary to your own statement
on the matter,
you conferred with Giuliano
at his house on the night ofJuly 5th.
- That's not true.
- Yes, it is.
When I came home, you were
saying good-bye to Giuliano.
You had been gone an hour
when Gaspare Pisciotta arrived.
And what's more, a few days
after Giuliano's death,
you and I were discussing the matter,
and you yourself told me
that that fatal night
you had brought him the letter
that warned him against Pisciotta.
Deny it if you dare!
It's true.
I went to his house that night,
but I didn't take any papers.
If I had, it would mean
that I knew in advance
that Giuliano was going
to be killed that night.
In any case, at my house that night
it was you, me, and Pisciotta.
I didn't take the memoir.
If logic tells us that
you didn't take it either,
that leaves only the third man.
Pisciotta, who took the memoir?
In July 1950,
Giuliano's memoir, the real one,
containing the names of those who ordered
the massacre at Portella della Ginestra,
was no longer
in Giuliano's possession.
With my approval, Giuliano gave it
to a man we called "the little lawyer. "
I wasn't lying when I said that
the carabinieri have the memoir.
I put them in touch
with the little lawyer.
Who is the little lawyer?
I'm not at liberty to say.
Captain, would you please give us
the name of the little lawyer?
I don't know his name.
I was told to go to a certain place,
to meet a man on the road between
Mazzara del Vallo and Castelvetrano.
My superior instructed me to stop
the car in that spot,
get out on the driver's side,
and open the trunk.
A man was supposed
to walk by and say hello,
and I was supposed
to greet him in return.
- Is that how it went?
- To the letter.
The man who approached me
was lean and elegant,
with typically Sicilian black hair.
He told me he had nothing for me
because he had burned it.
I want the name of the little lawyer.
I asked Pisciotta many times to give me
his name, but he always refused.
Pisciotta, why don't you make
the grand gesture we've been waiting for?
Come now. Tell us that name.
Why should I be the one to say it?
It'll be the word of an outlaw
against his, and he'll deny it.
The carabinieri were never given
the man's name.
Is the little lawyer Mr. De Maria?
Is it Marotta?
Come on. Take a good look.
I know them well, and they have
nothing to do with the little lawyer.
Believe me, Your Honor,
I'm sorry you have to work so hard
to find out who the little lawyer is.
I'm sorry I can't help you.
I'll never reveal that name.
If you like,
just imagine that I don't know it.
Portella della Ginestra
is but one episode,
one that produced tons
of print and publicity,
but after an excruciating
judicial inquiry,
after the long months of this trial,
no one understands the true nature
of that tragic event.
Because, Your Honor,
to understand how an outlaw
can become pivotal at election time
and throw the parliament and government
into turmoil by his actions,
we must have the courage
to expose the sad life of poverty,
of ignorance, of servitude to a feudal
system endured by these poor people,
the many faces
of political manipulation,
the face of the Mafia.
We must have the courage
to expose it all.
Stand for the court.
In the name of the Italian people,
the Court of Assize of Viterbo finds:
Gaspare Pisciotta,
Antonino Terranova,
son of the late Giuseppe,
Frank Mannino, aka Lampo,
Francesco Pisciotta, aka Mpompo,
Antonino Cucinella, son of Biagio,
Giuseppe Cucinella, son of Biagio,
Nunzio Badalamenti,
Pasquale Sciortino,
Francesco Gaglio, aka Reversino,
Angelo Russo, aka Angilinazzu,
Giovanni Genovesi, aka Manfre,
Giuseppe Genovesi, aka Manfre,
Vincenzo Pisciotta, aka Mpompo
and Salvatore Passatempo
guilty as charged
of the massacre of May 1, 1947,
at Portella della Ginestra.
I hereby sentence: Gaspare Pisciotta,
Antonino Terranova, son of Giuseppe,
Giuseppe Cucinella, Antonino Cucinella,
Nunzio Badalamenti,
Pasquale Sciortino, Frank Mannino,
and Francesco Pisciotta
to life in prison.
I hereby acquit
Vincenzo Sapienza, Domenico Retti,
Antonino and Vincenzo Buffa,
Gioacchino Musso,
Antonino Terranova,
son of Salvatore,
Giuseppe Di Nervia,
Giuseppe Sapienza, son ofTommaso,
Giovanni Russo...
- You're free!
- Antonino Gaio, Francesco Di Nervia,
Giuseppe Di Nisa,
Pietro Locullo
and Giuseppe Sapienza,
son of Francesco,
of the charge of complicity
in the massacre
at Portella della Ginestra,
as they acted under duress
to avoid real danger and in fear
of serious harm to themselves.
Counsel, why did you talk
to me of acquittal?
I saved the life of the colonel
of the carabinieri
when they wanted to have him killed.
I am a man of conscience.
I'm not an outlaw.
I came here of my own free will
to see justice done.
The outlaws are those
who call themselves honest men.
But this isn't over yet.
One day they'll hold a trial
over Salvatore Giuliano's death.
Then I'll tell everything
I didn't tell here.
Wake up.
Wake up.
Gaspare, aren't you going
to make coffee this morning?
Good morning.
- My father didn't hear the alarm.
- I'll make it right away.
- Have some coffee with us.
- I can't. I'm on duty.
Very well.
Would you like a cigarette?
It's against the rules,
but I'll take one.
Good day.
Guards!
They're calling for help in cell four!
- What is it?
- Pisciotta is sick.
Commander.
What is it?
They're asking for help
in Pisciotta's cell.
Call a doctor, quick!
I've been poisoned!
Brigadier, Gaspare Pisciotta is sick.
Get a doctor, quick!
Call the infirmary.
Nino!
- What is it?
- Gaspare is ill. Help us.
I've been poisoned. I drank coffee
and took my medicine.
- What is it?
- He says he's been poisoned.
Hold him down.
Let's get him out.
Gaspare is dead.