«The killing, forty years ago, of the prefect Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa and of his wife Emanuela Setti Carraro, the fatal wounding of the agent Domenico Russo, who died a few days later, threw Palermo, Sicily, the whole country into dismay. Once again the ferocity of Mafia criminal violence, in a crescendo of arrogance, did not spare a servant of the Republic or the people who had the sole fault of being close to him ». The President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella writes it in a message recalling the figure of the prefect of Palermo on the anniversary of his death.
«That extreme gesture of defiance against a hero of our time, a carabiniere protagonist of the defense of democracy against terrorism – underlines Mattarella -, retaliated against those who had wanted it. The national community, deeply affected by those events, knew how to react by giving proof of compactness and unity of purpose against the enemies of legality, of institutions, of civil coexistence. More incisive tools of action and coordination were put in place, building on Dalla Chiesa’s experiences, making the strategy to combat mafia organizations more effective. That effort was supported and accompanied by a growing civic sentiment of rejection and intolerance towards the mafia ».
“The life lesson of the prefect From the Church, the memory of the victims of that cowardly attack – continues the Head of State – live in the commitment of the women and men who in the institutions and public administration work for the defense of legality, of young people who want to build a more just and transparent society, of the many citizens who, aware of their rights and duties, responsibly oppose the culture of oppression and prevarication ».
The President of the Senate Elisabetta Casellati also recalled the figure of the general. «Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa is a model of loyalty to the State and its fundamental values. He was a partisan, he defeated terrorism and fought the Cosa Nostra. His insights, his honesty and his spirit of sacrifice have marked our history. It is thanks to examples like him that our young people grow up in a world where the sentiment of the anti-mafia is stronger and more rooted. 40 years after the mafia massacre in Via Carini, in which his wife Emanuela Setti Carraro and police officer Domenico Russo also lost their lives, we all have a duty to remember and honor him ».
Nando Dalla Chiesa, today in Palermo to participate in the commemorations for the anniversary of the massacre in which his father was killed forty years ago, remarks: “My father’s crime, the origin of so much despair, has never affected my idea of Palermo. Here I lived the best moments of my youth. Palermo is part of me, my maternal grandfather commanded the legion of carabinieri where I am now: there are many beautiful sensations I feel ».