Vendetta: Truth, Lies and the Mafia (2021) s01e06 Episode Script
The Reckoning
1
[atmospheric music playing]
[car horns honking]
FEBRUARY 2020
MANIACI'S DEFENSE STRATEGY MEETING
WITH A VIDEO EXPER
[somber music playing]
I've compared the full video
to the one given to the media.
Look what happens here.
[music turning suspenseful]
In the full video, there's a third person.
- [man] Who was that, Pino?
- It looks like Gioacchino Polizzi.
Gioacchino Polizzi?
[man 1] In this one,
you hear Mr. Maniaci say
[Pino] The Prefect has a dossier on you.
that sentence.
[man 2] It was added to the video,
it's not there.
[man 1] So they dubbed it
onto a different clip.
The video released to the media
and the full video, are totally different.
[music intensifying]
[Pino] In Sicily, we say "farfantaria,"
bullshit. You know what I mean?
[music stops abruptly]
Who the fuck can we trust?
[theme music playing]
A NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY SERIES
[music fading out]
[happy, traditional Italian music playing]
[man] Sicily
is the land of light.
But there's also a lot of darkness.
[music turning sinister]
There are shadows.
And hatred, danger, accusations, and traps
are hiding in those shadows.
Because it's a land of great passion,
positive and negative.
It's not easy to predict
how the trial will end for Maniaci.
I think that the verdict should be drawn
from the investigations,
PINO MANIACI'S LAWYER
from the witness statements that we heard,
and the evidence that was gathered.
Pino Maniaci should be acquitted.
[somber cello music playing]
FEBRUARY 2020
MANIACI TRIAL
DEFENSE'S VIDEO EXPERT TESTIMONY
So, you were able to watch
this video that was submitted
as part of
the public prosecutor's evidence.
Yes.
[judge] And you compared it with the one
that was broadcast through various media.
Yes, it's also on YouTube.
Can you explain
this discrepancy you noticed?
[witness] The discrepancy is that we see
something is said in the full-length video
when there are three people in the room.
In the video provided to the media,
there are only two people in the frame.
If I understand correctly,
you are saying that it was edited,
that the sound was edited
separately to the video,
so it no longer
corresponds to the original version.
Yes, that's the discrepancy.
So, in the video, the one distributed
by the Carabinieri,
where the so-called
alleged extortion happens
between Maniaci and the mayor,
you're saying that in reality,
there could also be a third person there,
who isn't in the video.
Exactly.
[Parrino] Surely, if there is evidence
of tampering with the video,
it would prove prove there was
a conspiracy against Pino Maniaci.
A video like that has only one aim,
and that is to shut down,
to quote Pino's infamous wiretaps,
"Shut down Pino Maniaci's inquiries,
and take Telejato off the air."
[dramatic music playing]
[man] We want to focus
all our attention
on the illegal accumulation of wealth
because the Mafia
wants to accumulate wealth illegally.
That's the goal of their operation,
so that's the activity
that we have to shine a spotlight on.
[Saguto] Hi, Monica.
[Saguto] I was the leading authority
on preventive measures in Italy.
Thank you. I needed that.
[Saguto] It's not a witch hunt anymore.
It's a conspiracy.
Of course Pino Maniaci didn't orchestrate
all this. Someone used him.
[Pino] Let's talk about the seized assets,
and clearly, we're here
[Saguto] Who did it? I don't know.
But I can tell you
it was an orchestrated plan
to put an end to the work
of the preventive measures department.
It's true.
I dare to hope
that I'll be acquitted of everything
because I haven't done anything wrong.
I've spent my whole life
fighting the Mafia,
the sentences that I gave out,
the trials that I presided over,
nobody can ever say
even with the accusations
I'm on trial for,
that I have ever tried to help the Mafia.
SILVANA SAGUTO'S FATHER,
HER HUSBAND LORENZO CARAMMA
AND HER SON EMANUELE
ARE CO-DEFENDANTS IN HER TRIAL
THEY ARE ALL AWAITING THE VERDIC
[music fading]
[Lorenzo] We have to support each other.
That's all.
Because we all know each other.
And we all know
what we've all done and haven't done.
Being treated like this
leaves you confused and very, very sad.
[sad music playing]
Last time I spoke to him, my son said,
"You made our lives impossible
chasing an ideal that doesn't exist
because only you believe in it.
No one else did,
and they didn't believe in you."
Our lives were nothing
like other people's.
I made them live in fear,
it wasn't right for kids of that age.
In the end,
it wasn't worth it.
SAGUTO TRIAL
VERDIC
[birds chirping]
[reporter] So, the long wait
for the verdict from
the presiding Judge Andrea Catalano,
here at the bunker courtroom
of Caltanissetta, begins.
Prominent defendant, former judge
Silvana Saguto, won't be present
[dreary music playing]
[indistinct talking on the TV]
OCTOBER 2020
[man] I'm waiting calmly for the verdict,
with a lot of faith.
We showed
that the magic circle didn't exist.
SILVANA SAGUTO'S LAWYER
I'm confident
we've done everything possible
to show the inconsistencies
and lack of substance of the claims.
[suspenseful music playing]
- [woman on TV talking]
- [clock ticking]
[phone buzzing]
[Saguto] It's a matter
of minutes, Lorenzo.
[music escalating]
[music fading]
[Saguto] I didn't go,
I don't want to stand
and wait while the court decides my fate.
What happens, happens,
whether I'm there or not won't change it.
I'd rather not think or talk about it.
We'll see what happens soon enough.
Phone is there,
and if Emanuele texts me,
it will be to to give me some news.
[music becoming more intense]
[alarm buzzing]
[footsteps approaching]
ALL ARE EQUAL BEFORE THE LAW
[music fading]
[rhythmical music playing]
What?
Is it out?
What?
The verdict?
And what is it?
[music building up]
Conviction?
Yes?
"In the name of the Italian people,
the Court of Caltanissetta
finds Silvana Saguto
guilty of the charges,
and sentences her to eight years,
six months in prison."
"Sentenced to eight years and six months."
[sinister music playing]
"Lorenzo Caramma, guilty of charges,
and sentenced to six years,
two months and ten days in prison.
Gaetano Cappellano Seminara,
seven years, six months in prison."
So basically, they convicted everyone.
The verdict can't be final.
There's no proof. It's not possible.
Reina's talking.
[phone ringing]
Hello?
Mama, everyone's convicted, except Papa.
Everyone convicted, I said.
Everyone convicted.
Emanuele's sentenced to six months.
Mama, listen,
if you talk nonsense I'll hang up.
I already said I said,
there's nothing more to tell you. Bye.
[heavy bass music playing]
I think they've seized our house.
I don't have any money,
so I can't pay them.
I don't understand what they're saying.
SILVANA SAGUTO IS ORDERED TO PAY
THE RELEVANT PARTIES
A TOTAL OF OVER 850,000 EUROS
I already told you
I'm not interested in public opinion.
If I'd been acquitted, people would say
there was some secret deal.
Do you realize how insane this is?
The Court of Caltanissetta has sentenced
the former president of the preventive
measures department of Palermo court.
SILVANA SAGUTO
WAS FOUND GUILTY OF CORRUPTION,
ABUSE OF POWER
AND FORGERY OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS
SHE WAS ACQUITTED OF THE ACCUSATIONS
OF CRIMINAL ASSOCIATION AND EMBEZZLEMEN
[melancholic music playing]
NEWSROOM
What do you think? What do you think?
What do you think? [Pino chuckling]
What do you think
of Saguto's sentence, huh?
Fuck!
What do I get out of this?
[Pino sighs]
Okay, go, scram
before you piss me off.
[Pino talking angrily]
Look, 59,000 people,
hundreds of comments, on Facebook alone,
saying, "Thanks to me"
But there's not one fucking newspaper
or journalist
saying that everything started
with Pino Maniaci.
Am I wrong, or has no one reported on it?
What a fucking country, unbelievable.
[somber music playing]
[Pino] Silvana Saguto, former president
of the preventive measures department,
has been sentenced
to eight and a half years in prison.
She's accused
of running a corrupt administration
and appointing judicial administrators
in exchange for money and favors
I'm proud of carrying out
this investigation
and bringing about the convictions
of the bad apples in the Court of Palermo
and of this "magic circle," as we call it.
Obviously, it leaves a bad taste
in your mouth
because it's hard to tell people,
"Look, instead of administering justice
- [busy signal]
- they stole money."
And if they don't review the laws,
there will be more Silvana Sagutos,
who will do what she's done.
- [Pino] Is this good for my trial?
- [man] Certainly, for your image.
All this cash she has to pay out,
and none for me?
[man laughing]
For all the time I spent on her
We'll see, we'll see.
We could sue her in civil court.
Really?
- Let's wait for the outcome of the trial.
- Ah.
[music box music playing]
[Ingroia] In Italy, people say
the anti-Mafia is having a crisis.
They use this label to refer to
the judiciary that works on Mafia cases,
to the various groups
fighting the Mafia, etc.
And they refer to the trials
like the Saguto trial,
like Pino Maniaci's trial, like my trial
because it involves
an anti-Mafia magistrate like Saguto,
like myself, and an anti-Mafia journalist,
like Pino Maniaci.
I think it's wrong to generalize.
[music stops]
Each case has its own story.
[gloomy music playing]
[radio newscaster] The prosecution
is seeking a four-year sentence
for former public prosecutor,
Antonio Ingroia, for alleged embezzlement.
According to the prosecutor,
he embezzled €100,000
ANTONIO INGROIA AWAITS
THE VERDICT OF HIS OWN TRIAL
[Ingroia] I've been accused
of embezzlement.
This angers me, and it offends my honor.
[phone dialing]
- [woman] Hello?
- I'm here, my love.
- Good morning, or rather goodnight.
- Good morning, love.
I'm driving, I'm in my car,
I'm going to the hearing, as you know.
I know, I was waiting for your call.
VOICE OF GISELLE OBERTI
I wanted to say hello,
and tell you that I'm very proud of you.
You risked your own life for 30 years
fighting the Mafia, going up against them,
and that bothered people so much,
people who
who didn't risk anything for 30 years.
- It's all insane. It's crazy.
- Okay, okay. Come on.
- Mm-hmm.
- Don't make me even more nervous.
[Ingroia] I know I haven't made
any mistakes.
I haven't committed any crimes.
They should be thanking me.
INGROIA TRIAL
VERDIC
[eerie music playing]
NOVEMBER 2020
Of course
It's a little strange
coming back to this court
where I was an anti-Mafia prosecutor
for a long time,
and where I now work as a lawyer,
it seems like a joke, you know,
being here as a defendant in a trial
that's been
[sighs] going on for years.
I always carry my lucky charm,
my lucky coin, which I have with me
in my most difficult times.
I trust it as much
as I trust the justice system.
- [ominous music playing]
- [seagulls squawking]
ANTONIO INGROIA HAS REQUESTED
ABBREVIATED JUDGMENT PROCEDURE
WHICH TAKES PLACE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
[news jingle playing]
Former Public Prosecutor Antonio Ingroia
has been sentenced by the Palermo Court
to one year and ten months in prison
for embezzlement.
The investigation that led to the trial
There are two charges against me,
one was about the performance bonus
that I allegedly took illegally,
and I was acquitted of that.
The other was
the reimbursement of expenses,
and the judge sentenced me for that.
It's disgusting.
It's revolting to me. [sighs]
It should have been a complete acquittal,
which I believe I deserve.
[string instruments playing]
[car door slammed shut]
[Ingroia] Italy is becoming
more and more out of balance.
Lots of false things have been said today.
I'm sorry to say that I see my future
[sighs]
the rest of my days
far away from Italy.
I've always had a love for Latin America.
In these last few years,
something has broken.
I lost faith in the justice system
and its ability
to only indict guilty parties,
having seen what is happening
to me and Pino.
What I am certain of is,
whatever the outcomes
of all the the trials I'm involved in,
I know that I will never relent.
I'll always continue my work
to affirm the principles I believe in,
the principles of justice and truth.
[music fading]
DECEMBER 2020
MANIACI TRIAL
THE PROSECUTION'S CLOSING STATEMENTS
[alarm buzzing]
[suspenseful music playing]
[man] Can we have
the prosecution's closing statements?
[woman] Your Honor,
in the case of Pino Maniaci,
we are not dealing with
the usual, crude methods of extortion
carried out by lowly crooks.
Pino Maniaci's technique
is far more refined.
He sends a message in his news reports
that over time breaks the spirit
of local officials,
who basically succumb
to what can be described as
a sort of "Chinese water torture effect,"
a steady drip of reports through which
their reputation is continuously attacked
and broken down.
Dear Mr. Mayor,
do you know what the problem is?
While you argue over responsibilities,
the town is drowning in trash.
[Luise] Maniaci uses
a persistent pincer technique.
He uses the media to either glorify
or denigrate local politicians,
depending on the status
of the payments he attempts to coerce.
He uses the stick and carrot method,
some times praising
and some times attacking them
to make clear that the extorted money
maintains their image in the media.
The support of a TV station claiming
to represent the voice of the anti-Mafia.
He starts with defamation.
The Mayor's visit to the United States
and his meetings are eyebrow-raising.
[Luise] Then he extorts money.
Pino Maniaci presents himself
as a credible anti-Mafia hero.
[guests applauding]
But the wiretaps reveal this image
to be a fraud.
[Pino] You have no idea
how powerful Pino Maniaci is.
[Luise] They reveal Pino Maniaci's method.
[Pino] This is a threat.
Do the interview and then fuck off.
[Luise] In other conversations,
Maniaci claims
he has administration
in the palm of his hand
through the power
of constant media pressure.
[Pino] These assholes have to do as I say.
Do you understand?
[Luise] He has shown himself
to be a two-faced journalist
who has shamelessly abused his profession.
[Pino] She's so full of shit.
[Luise] In light of this,
I ask that Pino Maniaci be sentenced
to 11 years and six months in prison
and face a fine of €6,500,
and we ask that the defendant
be declared a career con artist,
as permitted by law.
[Pino] Fuck.
A bit too much, I was expecting less.
[Pino] She drove me nuts
with all her bullshit. It drove me nuts.
[Parrino] It's the prosecution's job.
She has an obligation.
It may be her job, but she's made
a big mess of everything that happened
because she's gone and distorted it.
[Parrino] She was doing her duty,
drawing conclusions from the evidence
to support the levied charges,
however founded or unfounded they may be.
It's her right. And you shouldn't
have made those comments or faces.
[calm string music playing]
[person speaking
on the other end of the phone]
[Parrino] Who is Pino Maniaci?
Pino Maniaci
is a very creative individual,
who hasn't achieved much in his life.
If he didn't have his TV station,
he'd probably have become
a small time crook,
a local scammer, trying to make ends meet.
However, through television,
what he really wanted to achieve
started to happen.
He wanted to be a protagonist.
Pino loves investigative journalism.
The fact is that he wasn't equipped
for such a big fight,
and now he's paying the price.
It's become a crusade he might not win.
[intense cello music playing]
It's like a game of chess.
Pino is the whole game,
not a single piece.
[Ingroia] The white, the prosecutor,
makes the first move.
Now I'm using
what we call, "The Sicilian defense."
Defending while counter-attacking
to win the upper hand.
[sinister music playing]
FEBRUARY 2021
MANIACI TRIAL
DEFENSE'S CLOSING STATEMENTS
[Ingroia] Why are we here?
We are here to defend Pino Maniaci
from an accusation that is absurd,
unfounded, unjust, unproven, illogical,
and to a large extent, ridiculous.
I personally find it hard to understand
since in my career as a prosecutor,
and then a lawyer,
I have never seen a request
for eleven years and six months in prison
for charges like this.
They are seeking a bigger sentence
than what was given
to make an example
in the State versus the Mafia.
Even bigger than Silvana Saguto's sentence
of eight and a half years in prison
for corruption, forgery,
and abuse of power.
Something isn't right.
In this trial,
it is Pino Maniaci, the accused,
who is the victim.
It's them,
the so-called victims,
that pushed money on Maniaci
in the hope of buying his silence.
It's they who are the corrupt ones.
Of his own will, De Luca chose to sign
an advertising contract with Maniaci.
He pushed it in the hope
of buying some improper leverage,
and yet Maniaci resisted.
He didn't wanna be corrupted.
He carried on working on his news reports.
Forget "The carrot and the stick."
With Maniaci, there was only "the stick,"
accountability,
and despite
the many attempts to bribe him,
in particular by De Luca
and his entourage, Maniaci never gave up.
That is the reason De Luca got angry
because De Luca failed
at his attempts to corrupt Maniaci.
That is the reason
Polizzi on the phone called him
"an extortioner"
because he thought
that by buying t-shirts,
he could buy Maniaci's silence.
But he couldn't!
Pino Maniaci is not for sale.
[music slowly fading]
How did it come to this?
When did we get to this trial,
and why did it come to this?
There are names that are hiding
in the shadows behind this story.
Big names that are embarrassing
for the judicial institutions.
First and foremost,
is Silvana Saguto.
They wanted to protect Saguto.
Mission failed.
Mission failed.
[dog barking]
MARCH 2021
[serene music playing]
[chattering]
- [man] No sugar. It is sugared.
- [Letizia] It's not.
- [laughing]
- [Giovanni] No one wants to work?
- [Patrizia] boy?
- [man] No, no, no.
[Patrizia] Okay. [coughs]
Are the dogs out?
- [Patrizia] Let Chira out.
- [Pino] Chira, let's go. Come on.
[Patrizia] Good girl.
[Patrizia] Now, I'm just waiting
I trust in the magistracy.
Some people don't, but
But I think it will all be fine.
[Pino] Giulia! Come here. Here, Giulia.
Giulita!
[Patrizia] I'd do it all again.
I'll never regret any of it.
I've got nothing to lose.
Come here. Let's go. Come on.
I was 16 when I started
going out with Pino,
so I know how to deal with him,
how not to deal with him, you know?
[Pino] Stay. Stay down.
Stay. What is it?
[man] I can't say
that he was a saint before,
nor is he a devil now.
He's always been someone
who stands up for what's right.
Nobody is perfect,
he isn't perfect.
But to be accused of extorting money,
doing everything he's been accused of,
to me it all seems a little bit absurd.
Too absurd.
We'll see how it ends.
I hope it goes well.
We'll see.
[Pino] My family knows
that I'm being crucified
to make me pay the price
for my fight for justice.
They've weathered the storm.
They love me so much,
they've put up with it all.
And obviously, they want to move forward,
especially Letizia,
with the TV station,
so we're moving forward.
["That's Amore" by Dean Martin playing]
When the Moon hits your eye
Like a big pizza pie ♪
That's Amore ♪
When the world seems to shine ♪
- [Pino] Let's dance. Let's dance!
- [Letizia] Dance. It's his birthday.
Bells will ring ♪
Come on. We can do better than that.
Come here. We can hear it better here.
[sad music playing]
[Pino] We all make
lots of mistakes in life,
and I think that this is one of those.
It has been incredibly tough for them
because
- [dogs barking]
- [birds singing]
If I haven't apologized
or asked for forgiveness,
it's because I don't even have
the strength to look them in the eye.
Let's go!
APRIL 2021
[suspenseful music playing]
Okay.
[Pino] I'm calm, very relaxed.
I didn't do what they're accusing me of,
so I'm very calm,
despite a possible
eleven-and-a-half-year sentence.
What's important for me,
is that I have peace of mind.
[dramatic music playing]
MANIACI TRIAL
THE VERDIC
[Parrino] In 15 or 20 minutes,
they'll have the verdict.
- They called us.
- [Ingroia] Great. Here we are.
- [Pino] Can we go?
- [Ingroia] Yes. Did they tell you too?
[Pinto] Okay.
[Ingroia] Let's go.
[Pino] What's your prediction?
- [Ingroia] What?
- [Pino] What's your prediction?
[Ingroia] I'm moderately optimistic.
Moderately.
[Pino] Fuck. Moderately?
- [Ingroia] Can't be too
- [Pino] Optimistically optimistic?
too optimistic.
It's good to be to be cautious.
[suspenseful music building up]
[music slowly fading]
[alarm buzzing]
[mumbling]
[footsteps approaching]
"In the name of the Italian people,
the Court of Palermo,
second criminal division,
presided by a sole judge,
has issued the following sentence."
DEFAMATION CHARGE - TWO COUNTS
"We declare Giuseppe Maniaci
guilty of the charges.
He is sentenced to
one year and five months in prison
as well as the payment of the court fees."
EXTORTION CHARGE - FOUR COUNTS
"Seen article 530 of the criminal code,
charges 1, 2, 3, and 4,
Giuseppe Maniaci is acquitted
for lack of a prosecutor's case."
[music lightening up]
Thank you, hearing adjourned.
PINO MANIACI IS ACQUITTED
OF ALL CHARGES FOR EXTORTION
[Pino] Sentenced to a year and a half
for defamation
and made to pay some court fees
And acquitted of all charges of extortion.
The prosecution of Palermo
has made a fool of itself.
Acquitted of the charge of extortion,
Pino Maniaci,
journalist and founder of Telejato,
was first hit
with an anti-Mafia Department inquest
back in 2016.
[Pino] Thanks.
[journalist] Will Pino Maniaci
continue in journalism?
[Pino] Always.
And I ask you to do the same
because these are the risks
we take being journalists.
[newscaster] The verdict is a victory
for Pino Maniaci, director of Telejato,
the TV station in Partinico that's been
fighting the Mafia for many years.
I never thought of myself
as an anti-Mafia journalist.
It's a label that others gave me.
But having said that,
I have been destroyed by private wiretaps
that had nothing to do
with the fight against the Mafia.
What do you think about that?
[Ingroia] I'm overjoyed
because there was a real fear
of receiving a harsher sentence.
This verdict shows you can get justice.
You can't give up, you have to believe it.
I never stopped believing there would be
light at the end of the tunnel.
Today, we have reached that light.
[Letizia] Be good now
and behave yourself.
You're live.
We never bowed down. Never.
Not at all.
We have to be stronger from now on.
Welcome to today's Telejato News.
9TH OF APRIL 2021
Today, I hope you'll forgive us
for taking up most of the airtime
to talk about ourselves
and obviously, the
[Letizia] Telejato never stopped.
Telejato moves forward,
we know what my dad is like,
he won't give up easily.
Come on. I'll kill them.
Letizia!
Get everything out of the printer!
Throughout this long and ugly story
I was used to fighting criminals,
mafiosos, small crooks,
and organized crime.
Let's film the TV antenna.
No one realized Provenzano had a TV.
Look, he might have watched Telejato.
[chuckling]
Now, I've learned
to fight the powers that be.
We've called you thieves.
We've called you vultures.
Look at this.
My character, my way of doing things,
my balls of steel
allow me to move forward,
and we will continue our fights,
as long as my health allows me to do so.
AFTER THE VERDIC
TELEJATO EXPANDED ITS AUDIENCE
AND IT IS NOW AVAILABLE ALL ACROSS SICILY
[dramatic music playing]
When I heard they'd acquitted Maniaci,
I almost laughed out loud.
I really find justice to be
um um
incomprehensible.
It's absurd for Maniaci to say
he's the victim of a vendetta
of the system that I managed
because it's like saying
I orchestrated my own demise.
It's so ridiculous.
It's a contradiction in terms.
If I had been acquitted,
that might make more sense
because it would show a sort of
honor among thieves.
Everyone was always saying to me,
"Why don't you write a book?"
And I would say, "I don't have time."
Now, unfortunately, I have time.
I have faith that I'll be able
to overturn the verdict in an appeal.
We'll have to see. It doesn't end here.
I've dealt with many hardships in my life.
I'll deal with this.
THE SENTENCES OF PINO MANIACI,
ANTONIO INGROIA, SILVANA SAGUTO
AND HER CO-DEFENDANTS ARE NON-BINDING
ALL PARTIES CAN APPEAL
IN MOST CASES DEFENDANTS ARE IMPRISONED
ONLY AFTER THE FINAL SENTENCE
FROM THE HIGH COUR
WE WILL CARRY ON
WITH PEPPINO'S IDEAS AND COURAGE
[man] The Mafia isn't invincible.
It's a human creation,
and like all human creations, it has
a beginning, and it will have an end.
They can't be defeated
by everyday heroes alone,
but by gathering all the best forces in
the institutions involved in the battle.
I have said very often
ANTI-MAFIA JUDGE
that the existence
of the Mafia is an alibi,
a scapegoat
used to justify wrongdoings
in all parts of our society.
[dramatic music playing]
[atmospheric music playing]
[car horns honking]
FEBRUARY 2020
MANIACI'S DEFENSE STRATEGY MEETING
WITH A VIDEO EXPER
[somber music playing]
I've compared the full video
to the one given to the media.
Look what happens here.
[music turning suspenseful]
In the full video, there's a third person.
- [man] Who was that, Pino?
- It looks like Gioacchino Polizzi.
Gioacchino Polizzi?
[man 1] In this one,
you hear Mr. Maniaci say
[Pino] The Prefect has a dossier on you.
that sentence.
[man 2] It was added to the video,
it's not there.
[man 1] So they dubbed it
onto a different clip.
The video released to the media
and the full video, are totally different.
[music intensifying]
[Pino] In Sicily, we say "farfantaria,"
bullshit. You know what I mean?
[music stops abruptly]
Who the fuck can we trust?
[theme music playing]
A NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY SERIES
[music fading out]
[happy, traditional Italian music playing]
[man] Sicily
is the land of light.
But there's also a lot of darkness.
[music turning sinister]
There are shadows.
And hatred, danger, accusations, and traps
are hiding in those shadows.
Because it's a land of great passion,
positive and negative.
It's not easy to predict
how the trial will end for Maniaci.
I think that the verdict should be drawn
from the investigations,
PINO MANIACI'S LAWYER
from the witness statements that we heard,
and the evidence that was gathered.
Pino Maniaci should be acquitted.
[somber cello music playing]
FEBRUARY 2020
MANIACI TRIAL
DEFENSE'S VIDEO EXPERT TESTIMONY
So, you were able to watch
this video that was submitted
as part of
the public prosecutor's evidence.
Yes.
[judge] And you compared it with the one
that was broadcast through various media.
Yes, it's also on YouTube.
Can you explain
this discrepancy you noticed?
[witness] The discrepancy is that we see
something is said in the full-length video
when there are three people in the room.
In the video provided to the media,
there are only two people in the frame.
If I understand correctly,
you are saying that it was edited,
that the sound was edited
separately to the video,
so it no longer
corresponds to the original version.
Yes, that's the discrepancy.
So, in the video, the one distributed
by the Carabinieri,
where the so-called
alleged extortion happens
between Maniaci and the mayor,
you're saying that in reality,
there could also be a third person there,
who isn't in the video.
Exactly.
[Parrino] Surely, if there is evidence
of tampering with the video,
it would prove prove there was
a conspiracy against Pino Maniaci.
A video like that has only one aim,
and that is to shut down,
to quote Pino's infamous wiretaps,
"Shut down Pino Maniaci's inquiries,
and take Telejato off the air."
[dramatic music playing]
[man] We want to focus
all our attention
on the illegal accumulation of wealth
because the Mafia
wants to accumulate wealth illegally.
That's the goal of their operation,
so that's the activity
that we have to shine a spotlight on.
[Saguto] Hi, Monica.
[Saguto] I was the leading authority
on preventive measures in Italy.
Thank you. I needed that.
[Saguto] It's not a witch hunt anymore.
It's a conspiracy.
Of course Pino Maniaci didn't orchestrate
all this. Someone used him.
[Pino] Let's talk about the seized assets,
and clearly, we're here
[Saguto] Who did it? I don't know.
But I can tell you
it was an orchestrated plan
to put an end to the work
of the preventive measures department.
It's true.
I dare to hope
that I'll be acquitted of everything
because I haven't done anything wrong.
I've spent my whole life
fighting the Mafia,
the sentences that I gave out,
the trials that I presided over,
nobody can ever say
even with the accusations
I'm on trial for,
that I have ever tried to help the Mafia.
SILVANA SAGUTO'S FATHER,
HER HUSBAND LORENZO CARAMMA
AND HER SON EMANUELE
ARE CO-DEFENDANTS IN HER TRIAL
THEY ARE ALL AWAITING THE VERDIC
[music fading]
[Lorenzo] We have to support each other.
That's all.
Because we all know each other.
And we all know
what we've all done and haven't done.
Being treated like this
leaves you confused and very, very sad.
[sad music playing]
Last time I spoke to him, my son said,
"You made our lives impossible
chasing an ideal that doesn't exist
because only you believe in it.
No one else did,
and they didn't believe in you."
Our lives were nothing
like other people's.
I made them live in fear,
it wasn't right for kids of that age.
In the end,
it wasn't worth it.
SAGUTO TRIAL
VERDIC
[birds chirping]
[reporter] So, the long wait
for the verdict from
the presiding Judge Andrea Catalano,
here at the bunker courtroom
of Caltanissetta, begins.
Prominent defendant, former judge
Silvana Saguto, won't be present
[dreary music playing]
[indistinct talking on the TV]
OCTOBER 2020
[man] I'm waiting calmly for the verdict,
with a lot of faith.
We showed
that the magic circle didn't exist.
SILVANA SAGUTO'S LAWYER
I'm confident
we've done everything possible
to show the inconsistencies
and lack of substance of the claims.
[suspenseful music playing]
- [woman on TV talking]
- [clock ticking]
[phone buzzing]
[Saguto] It's a matter
of minutes, Lorenzo.
[music escalating]
[music fading]
[Saguto] I didn't go,
I don't want to stand
and wait while the court decides my fate.
What happens, happens,
whether I'm there or not won't change it.
I'd rather not think or talk about it.
We'll see what happens soon enough.
Phone is there,
and if Emanuele texts me,
it will be to to give me some news.
[music becoming more intense]
[alarm buzzing]
[footsteps approaching]
ALL ARE EQUAL BEFORE THE LAW
[music fading]
[rhythmical music playing]
What?
Is it out?
What?
The verdict?
And what is it?
[music building up]
Conviction?
Yes?
"In the name of the Italian people,
the Court of Caltanissetta
finds Silvana Saguto
guilty of the charges,
and sentences her to eight years,
six months in prison."
"Sentenced to eight years and six months."
[sinister music playing]
"Lorenzo Caramma, guilty of charges,
and sentenced to six years,
two months and ten days in prison.
Gaetano Cappellano Seminara,
seven years, six months in prison."
So basically, they convicted everyone.
The verdict can't be final.
There's no proof. It's not possible.
Reina's talking.
[phone ringing]
Hello?
Mama, everyone's convicted, except Papa.
Everyone convicted, I said.
Everyone convicted.
Emanuele's sentenced to six months.
Mama, listen,
if you talk nonsense I'll hang up.
I already said I said,
there's nothing more to tell you. Bye.
[heavy bass music playing]
I think they've seized our house.
I don't have any money,
so I can't pay them.
I don't understand what they're saying.
SILVANA SAGUTO IS ORDERED TO PAY
THE RELEVANT PARTIES
A TOTAL OF OVER 850,000 EUROS
I already told you
I'm not interested in public opinion.
If I'd been acquitted, people would say
there was some secret deal.
Do you realize how insane this is?
The Court of Caltanissetta has sentenced
the former president of the preventive
measures department of Palermo court.
SILVANA SAGUTO
WAS FOUND GUILTY OF CORRUPTION,
ABUSE OF POWER
AND FORGERY OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS
SHE WAS ACQUITTED OF THE ACCUSATIONS
OF CRIMINAL ASSOCIATION AND EMBEZZLEMEN
[melancholic music playing]
NEWSROOM
What do you think? What do you think?
What do you think? [Pino chuckling]
What do you think
of Saguto's sentence, huh?
Fuck!
What do I get out of this?
[Pino sighs]
Okay, go, scram
before you piss me off.
[Pino talking angrily]
Look, 59,000 people,
hundreds of comments, on Facebook alone,
saying, "Thanks to me"
But there's not one fucking newspaper
or journalist
saying that everything started
with Pino Maniaci.
Am I wrong, or has no one reported on it?
What a fucking country, unbelievable.
[somber music playing]
[Pino] Silvana Saguto, former president
of the preventive measures department,
has been sentenced
to eight and a half years in prison.
She's accused
of running a corrupt administration
and appointing judicial administrators
in exchange for money and favors
I'm proud of carrying out
this investigation
and bringing about the convictions
of the bad apples in the Court of Palermo
and of this "magic circle," as we call it.
Obviously, it leaves a bad taste
in your mouth
because it's hard to tell people,
"Look, instead of administering justice
- [busy signal]
- they stole money."
And if they don't review the laws,
there will be more Silvana Sagutos,
who will do what she's done.
- [Pino] Is this good for my trial?
- [man] Certainly, for your image.
All this cash she has to pay out,
and none for me?
[man laughing]
For all the time I spent on her
We'll see, we'll see.
We could sue her in civil court.
Really?
- Let's wait for the outcome of the trial.
- Ah.
[music box music playing]
[Ingroia] In Italy, people say
the anti-Mafia is having a crisis.
They use this label to refer to
the judiciary that works on Mafia cases,
to the various groups
fighting the Mafia, etc.
And they refer to the trials
like the Saguto trial,
like Pino Maniaci's trial, like my trial
because it involves
an anti-Mafia magistrate like Saguto,
like myself, and an anti-Mafia journalist,
like Pino Maniaci.
I think it's wrong to generalize.
[music stops]
Each case has its own story.
[gloomy music playing]
[radio newscaster] The prosecution
is seeking a four-year sentence
for former public prosecutor,
Antonio Ingroia, for alleged embezzlement.
According to the prosecutor,
he embezzled €100,000
ANTONIO INGROIA AWAITS
THE VERDICT OF HIS OWN TRIAL
[Ingroia] I've been accused
of embezzlement.
This angers me, and it offends my honor.
[phone dialing]
- [woman] Hello?
- I'm here, my love.
- Good morning, or rather goodnight.
- Good morning, love.
I'm driving, I'm in my car,
I'm going to the hearing, as you know.
I know, I was waiting for your call.
VOICE OF GISELLE OBERTI
I wanted to say hello,
and tell you that I'm very proud of you.
You risked your own life for 30 years
fighting the Mafia, going up against them,
and that bothered people so much,
people who
who didn't risk anything for 30 years.
- It's all insane. It's crazy.
- Okay, okay. Come on.
- Mm-hmm.
- Don't make me even more nervous.
[Ingroia] I know I haven't made
any mistakes.
I haven't committed any crimes.
They should be thanking me.
INGROIA TRIAL
VERDIC
[eerie music playing]
NOVEMBER 2020
Of course
It's a little strange
coming back to this court
where I was an anti-Mafia prosecutor
for a long time,
and where I now work as a lawyer,
it seems like a joke, you know,
being here as a defendant in a trial
that's been
[sighs] going on for years.
I always carry my lucky charm,
my lucky coin, which I have with me
in my most difficult times.
I trust it as much
as I trust the justice system.
- [ominous music playing]
- [seagulls squawking]
ANTONIO INGROIA HAS REQUESTED
ABBREVIATED JUDGMENT PROCEDURE
WHICH TAKES PLACE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
[news jingle playing]
Former Public Prosecutor Antonio Ingroia
has been sentenced by the Palermo Court
to one year and ten months in prison
for embezzlement.
The investigation that led to the trial
There are two charges against me,
one was about the performance bonus
that I allegedly took illegally,
and I was acquitted of that.
The other was
the reimbursement of expenses,
and the judge sentenced me for that.
It's disgusting.
It's revolting to me. [sighs]
It should have been a complete acquittal,
which I believe I deserve.
[string instruments playing]
[car door slammed shut]
[Ingroia] Italy is becoming
more and more out of balance.
Lots of false things have been said today.
I'm sorry to say that I see my future
[sighs]
the rest of my days
far away from Italy.
I've always had a love for Latin America.
In these last few years,
something has broken.
I lost faith in the justice system
and its ability
to only indict guilty parties,
having seen what is happening
to me and Pino.
What I am certain of is,
whatever the outcomes
of all the the trials I'm involved in,
I know that I will never relent.
I'll always continue my work
to affirm the principles I believe in,
the principles of justice and truth.
[music fading]
DECEMBER 2020
MANIACI TRIAL
THE PROSECUTION'S CLOSING STATEMENTS
[alarm buzzing]
[suspenseful music playing]
[man] Can we have
the prosecution's closing statements?
[woman] Your Honor,
in the case of Pino Maniaci,
we are not dealing with
the usual, crude methods of extortion
carried out by lowly crooks.
Pino Maniaci's technique
is far more refined.
He sends a message in his news reports
that over time breaks the spirit
of local officials,
who basically succumb
to what can be described as
a sort of "Chinese water torture effect,"
a steady drip of reports through which
their reputation is continuously attacked
and broken down.
Dear Mr. Mayor,
do you know what the problem is?
While you argue over responsibilities,
the town is drowning in trash.
[Luise] Maniaci uses
a persistent pincer technique.
He uses the media to either glorify
or denigrate local politicians,
depending on the status
of the payments he attempts to coerce.
He uses the stick and carrot method,
some times praising
and some times attacking them
to make clear that the extorted money
maintains their image in the media.
The support of a TV station claiming
to represent the voice of the anti-Mafia.
He starts with defamation.
The Mayor's visit to the United States
and his meetings are eyebrow-raising.
[Luise] Then he extorts money.
Pino Maniaci presents himself
as a credible anti-Mafia hero.
[guests applauding]
But the wiretaps reveal this image
to be a fraud.
[Pino] You have no idea
how powerful Pino Maniaci is.
[Luise] They reveal Pino Maniaci's method.
[Pino] This is a threat.
Do the interview and then fuck off.
[Luise] In other conversations,
Maniaci claims
he has administration
in the palm of his hand
through the power
of constant media pressure.
[Pino] These assholes have to do as I say.
Do you understand?
[Luise] He has shown himself
to be a two-faced journalist
who has shamelessly abused his profession.
[Pino] She's so full of shit.
[Luise] In light of this,
I ask that Pino Maniaci be sentenced
to 11 years and six months in prison
and face a fine of €6,500,
and we ask that the defendant
be declared a career con artist,
as permitted by law.
[Pino] Fuck.
A bit too much, I was expecting less.
[Pino] She drove me nuts
with all her bullshit. It drove me nuts.
[Parrino] It's the prosecution's job.
She has an obligation.
It may be her job, but she's made
a big mess of everything that happened
because she's gone and distorted it.
[Parrino] She was doing her duty,
drawing conclusions from the evidence
to support the levied charges,
however founded or unfounded they may be.
It's her right. And you shouldn't
have made those comments or faces.
[calm string music playing]
[person speaking
on the other end of the phone]
[Parrino] Who is Pino Maniaci?
Pino Maniaci
is a very creative individual,
who hasn't achieved much in his life.
If he didn't have his TV station,
he'd probably have become
a small time crook,
a local scammer, trying to make ends meet.
However, through television,
what he really wanted to achieve
started to happen.
He wanted to be a protagonist.
Pino loves investigative journalism.
The fact is that he wasn't equipped
for such a big fight,
and now he's paying the price.
It's become a crusade he might not win.
[intense cello music playing]
It's like a game of chess.
Pino is the whole game,
not a single piece.
[Ingroia] The white, the prosecutor,
makes the first move.
Now I'm using
what we call, "The Sicilian defense."
Defending while counter-attacking
to win the upper hand.
[sinister music playing]
FEBRUARY 2021
MANIACI TRIAL
DEFENSE'S CLOSING STATEMENTS
[Ingroia] Why are we here?
We are here to defend Pino Maniaci
from an accusation that is absurd,
unfounded, unjust, unproven, illogical,
and to a large extent, ridiculous.
I personally find it hard to understand
since in my career as a prosecutor,
and then a lawyer,
I have never seen a request
for eleven years and six months in prison
for charges like this.
They are seeking a bigger sentence
than what was given
to make an example
in the State versus the Mafia.
Even bigger than Silvana Saguto's sentence
of eight and a half years in prison
for corruption, forgery,
and abuse of power.
Something isn't right.
In this trial,
it is Pino Maniaci, the accused,
who is the victim.
It's them,
the so-called victims,
that pushed money on Maniaci
in the hope of buying his silence.
It's they who are the corrupt ones.
Of his own will, De Luca chose to sign
an advertising contract with Maniaci.
He pushed it in the hope
of buying some improper leverage,
and yet Maniaci resisted.
He didn't wanna be corrupted.
He carried on working on his news reports.
Forget "The carrot and the stick."
With Maniaci, there was only "the stick,"
accountability,
and despite
the many attempts to bribe him,
in particular by De Luca
and his entourage, Maniaci never gave up.
That is the reason De Luca got angry
because De Luca failed
at his attempts to corrupt Maniaci.
That is the reason
Polizzi on the phone called him
"an extortioner"
because he thought
that by buying t-shirts,
he could buy Maniaci's silence.
But he couldn't!
Pino Maniaci is not for sale.
[music slowly fading]
How did it come to this?
When did we get to this trial,
and why did it come to this?
There are names that are hiding
in the shadows behind this story.
Big names that are embarrassing
for the judicial institutions.
First and foremost,
is Silvana Saguto.
They wanted to protect Saguto.
Mission failed.
Mission failed.
[dog barking]
MARCH 2021
[serene music playing]
[chattering]
- [man] No sugar. It is sugared.
- [Letizia] It's not.
- [laughing]
- [Giovanni] No one wants to work?
- [Patrizia] boy?
- [man] No, no, no.
[Patrizia] Okay. [coughs]
Are the dogs out?
- [Patrizia] Let Chira out.
- [Pino] Chira, let's go. Come on.
[Patrizia] Good girl.
[Patrizia] Now, I'm just waiting
I trust in the magistracy.
Some people don't, but
But I think it will all be fine.
[Pino] Giulia! Come here. Here, Giulia.
Giulita!
[Patrizia] I'd do it all again.
I'll never regret any of it.
I've got nothing to lose.
Come here. Let's go. Come on.
I was 16 when I started
going out with Pino,
so I know how to deal with him,
how not to deal with him, you know?
[Pino] Stay. Stay down.
Stay. What is it?
[man] I can't say
that he was a saint before,
nor is he a devil now.
He's always been someone
who stands up for what's right.
Nobody is perfect,
he isn't perfect.
But to be accused of extorting money,
doing everything he's been accused of,
to me it all seems a little bit absurd.
Too absurd.
We'll see how it ends.
I hope it goes well.
We'll see.
[Pino] My family knows
that I'm being crucified
to make me pay the price
for my fight for justice.
They've weathered the storm.
They love me so much,
they've put up with it all.
And obviously, they want to move forward,
especially Letizia,
with the TV station,
so we're moving forward.
["That's Amore" by Dean Martin playing]
When the Moon hits your eye
Like a big pizza pie ♪
That's Amore ♪
When the world seems to shine ♪
- [Pino] Let's dance. Let's dance!
- [Letizia] Dance. It's his birthday.
Bells will ring ♪
Come on. We can do better than that.
Come here. We can hear it better here.
[sad music playing]
[Pino] We all make
lots of mistakes in life,
and I think that this is one of those.
It has been incredibly tough for them
because
- [dogs barking]
- [birds singing]
If I haven't apologized
or asked for forgiveness,
it's because I don't even have
the strength to look them in the eye.
Let's go!
APRIL 2021
[suspenseful music playing]
Okay.
[Pino] I'm calm, very relaxed.
I didn't do what they're accusing me of,
so I'm very calm,
despite a possible
eleven-and-a-half-year sentence.
What's important for me,
is that I have peace of mind.
[dramatic music playing]
MANIACI TRIAL
THE VERDIC
[Parrino] In 15 or 20 minutes,
they'll have the verdict.
- They called us.
- [Ingroia] Great. Here we are.
- [Pino] Can we go?
- [Ingroia] Yes. Did they tell you too?
[Pinto] Okay.
[Ingroia] Let's go.
[Pino] What's your prediction?
- [Ingroia] What?
- [Pino] What's your prediction?
[Ingroia] I'm moderately optimistic.
Moderately.
[Pino] Fuck. Moderately?
- [Ingroia] Can't be too
- [Pino] Optimistically optimistic?
too optimistic.
It's good to be to be cautious.
[suspenseful music building up]
[music slowly fading]
[alarm buzzing]
[mumbling]
[footsteps approaching]
"In the name of the Italian people,
the Court of Palermo,
second criminal division,
presided by a sole judge,
has issued the following sentence."
DEFAMATION CHARGE - TWO COUNTS
"We declare Giuseppe Maniaci
guilty of the charges.
He is sentenced to
one year and five months in prison
as well as the payment of the court fees."
EXTORTION CHARGE - FOUR COUNTS
"Seen article 530 of the criminal code,
charges 1, 2, 3, and 4,
Giuseppe Maniaci is acquitted
for lack of a prosecutor's case."
[music lightening up]
Thank you, hearing adjourned.
PINO MANIACI IS ACQUITTED
OF ALL CHARGES FOR EXTORTION
[Pino] Sentenced to a year and a half
for defamation
and made to pay some court fees
And acquitted of all charges of extortion.
The prosecution of Palermo
has made a fool of itself.
Acquitted of the charge of extortion,
Pino Maniaci,
journalist and founder of Telejato,
was first hit
with an anti-Mafia Department inquest
back in 2016.
[Pino] Thanks.
[journalist] Will Pino Maniaci
continue in journalism?
[Pino] Always.
And I ask you to do the same
because these are the risks
we take being journalists.
[newscaster] The verdict is a victory
for Pino Maniaci, director of Telejato,
the TV station in Partinico that's been
fighting the Mafia for many years.
I never thought of myself
as an anti-Mafia journalist.
It's a label that others gave me.
But having said that,
I have been destroyed by private wiretaps
that had nothing to do
with the fight against the Mafia.
What do you think about that?
[Ingroia] I'm overjoyed
because there was a real fear
of receiving a harsher sentence.
This verdict shows you can get justice.
You can't give up, you have to believe it.
I never stopped believing there would be
light at the end of the tunnel.
Today, we have reached that light.
[Letizia] Be good now
and behave yourself.
You're live.
We never bowed down. Never.
Not at all.
We have to be stronger from now on.
Welcome to today's Telejato News.
9TH OF APRIL 2021
Today, I hope you'll forgive us
for taking up most of the airtime
to talk about ourselves
and obviously, the
[Letizia] Telejato never stopped.
Telejato moves forward,
we know what my dad is like,
he won't give up easily.
Come on. I'll kill them.
Letizia!
Get everything out of the printer!
Throughout this long and ugly story
I was used to fighting criminals,
mafiosos, small crooks,
and organized crime.
Let's film the TV antenna.
No one realized Provenzano had a TV.
Look, he might have watched Telejato.
[chuckling]
Now, I've learned
to fight the powers that be.
We've called you thieves.
We've called you vultures.
Look at this.
My character, my way of doing things,
my balls of steel
allow me to move forward,
and we will continue our fights,
as long as my health allows me to do so.
AFTER THE VERDIC
TELEJATO EXPANDED ITS AUDIENCE
AND IT IS NOW AVAILABLE ALL ACROSS SICILY
[dramatic music playing]
When I heard they'd acquitted Maniaci,
I almost laughed out loud.
I really find justice to be
um um
incomprehensible.
It's absurd for Maniaci to say
he's the victim of a vendetta
of the system that I managed
because it's like saying
I orchestrated my own demise.
It's so ridiculous.
It's a contradiction in terms.
If I had been acquitted,
that might make more sense
because it would show a sort of
honor among thieves.
Everyone was always saying to me,
"Why don't you write a book?"
And I would say, "I don't have time."
Now, unfortunately, I have time.
I have faith that I'll be able
to overturn the verdict in an appeal.
We'll have to see. It doesn't end here.
I've dealt with many hardships in my life.
I'll deal with this.
THE SENTENCES OF PINO MANIACI,
ANTONIO INGROIA, SILVANA SAGUTO
AND HER CO-DEFENDANTS ARE NON-BINDING
ALL PARTIES CAN APPEAL
IN MOST CASES DEFENDANTS ARE IMPRISONED
ONLY AFTER THE FINAL SENTENCE
FROM THE HIGH COUR
WE WILL CARRY ON
WITH PEPPINO'S IDEAS AND COURAGE
[man] The Mafia isn't invincible.
It's a human creation,
and like all human creations, it has
a beginning, and it will have an end.
They can't be defeated
by everyday heroes alone,
but by gathering all the best forces in
the institutions involved in the battle.
I have said very often
ANTI-MAFIA JUDGE
that the existence
of the Mafia is an alibi,
a scapegoat
used to justify wrongdoings
in all parts of our society.
[dramatic music playing]