Palermo honors Rocco Chinnici, founder of Italy's anti‑mafia pool

On July 29, 2026, Palermo marked the 43rd anniversary of the 1983 bombing that killed magistrate Rocco Chinnici, the innovator of Italy's anti‑mafia investigative pool, along with Carabinieri marshal Mario Trapassi, officer Salvatore Bartolotta and building porter Stefano Li Sacchi. Official ceremonies organized by the Rocco Chinnici Foundation and supported by regional and municipal authorities began with the laying of flowers at the blast site on Via Pipitone Federico. A solemn Mass was held in Santa Maria Regina Pacis, and a series of community events followed, including a "rose for Uncle Rocco" activity in the piazza named after him, the planting of a "Garden of Memory" in Misilmeri, and a march of legality through the town centre. Regional president Renato Schifani and Senate president Ignazio La Russa delivered remarks emphasizing Chinnici’s legacy and the continued fight against organized crime.