In Palermo, the name Paolo Giaccone is closely linked with the city’s University Hospital, named in his honor. However, not everyone is familiar with the profound reason behind this tribute.
Paolo Giaccone fell victim of Cosa Nostra, paying the ultimate price for his refusal to succumb to mafia pressure and for his unwavering commitment to upholding professional integrity.
Born in Palermo in 1929, Giaccone was a highly esteemed medical practitioner. He held the distinguished position of Professor of Criminal Anthropology at the Faculty of Law and was a recognized expert in ballistics. Additionally, he achieved the prestigious rank of full professor in Forensic Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine within the University of Palermo. His exceptional expertise led him to serve as a consultant in legal proceedings, particularly those related to Mafia-perpetrated murders.
Entrusted with the crucial task of examining the fingerprints left behind by Giuseppe Marchese, a ruthless member of the Corso dei Mille Family (1981), Giaccone faced mounting coercion and menacing threats aimed at manipulating the findings of his expert analysis.
Unwavering in his stance, Paolo Giaccone vehemently resisted such pressures, a stand that ultimately sealed his fate. On August 11, 1982, he met a tragic end, succumbing to gunfire as he traversed the avenues near the Polyclinic, en route to the Institute of Forensic Medicine. The individuals identified by the cooperating witness, Vincenzo Sinagra, received life sentences, both those who carried out the act and those who masterminded it, as determined in the initial Maxiprocess trial.
