Lega Navale Italiana dedicates confiscated vessel to Giuseppe Di Matteo

In Trieste, during the Barcolana 58 event, the Lega Navale Italiana dedicated the motoryacht ‘Sentinella Blu’ to Giuseppe Di Matteo. The vessel, a 16-meter iron boat launched in Norway in 1974, was confiscated in 2024 during an operation against migrant trafficking.

The dedication honors Di Matteo, a victim of the mafia who was killed thirty years ago after being held captive for 779 days. The ceremony was attended by institutional authorities and his brother, Nicola Di Matteo. The vessel is the 30th ship in the Lega Navale Italiana’s ‘flotta della legalità’ (fleet of legality), a program that repurposes vessels previously used for illicit activities for public interest and environmental monitoring.

Following over a year of restoration work, ‘Sentinella Blu’ has completed its first environmental monitoring mission, which began in Siracusa and traveled along the Ionian route. The ship’s sails now feature the name and face of Giuseppe Di Matteo.