Libero Grassi, l’imprenditore-martire di Palermo che sfidò la mafia.
Libero Grassi, an entrepreneur in Sicily, made a bold stand against the mafia in 1991 by publicly refusing to pay protection money. In a letter to a local newspaper, he defiantly stated that he would not contribute and sought police protection. This act of rebellion against Cosa Nostra was rare at the time, as few business owners had the courage to denounce the extortion racket. Just months later, Grassi was assassinated by a hired killer as he walked to work one morning in Palermo. His murder was a punishment from the mafia for his open defiance and attempt to free Sicilian businesses from their grip. Grassi’s life embodied disobedience to the mafia’s rules, and he was considered a martyr in the civil and entrepreneurial fight against organized crime. Born into an anti-fascist family in Catania in 1924, Grassi pursued his ideals and never compromised. He studied in Palermo and Rome, dreamed of becoming a diplomat, but ultimately followed his father’s path as a merchant. Grassi obtained his education in Gallarate, a industrial town in northern Italy, before returning to Sicily and opening a textile factory. Grassi was not just a business owner; he was also a dedicated civil activist, involved in politics as a member of the Radical Party and later the Republican Party. However, his greatest commitment was his fight against the mafia as an entrepreneur, particularly through his revolutionary act of refusing to pay protection money. He wrote a letter to the newspaper declaring that he had built his factory with his own hands and would not be extorted. Grassi collaborated with authorities to identify the extortionists, the Avitabile brothers, who were enforcers for the Madonia family of Resuttana. Grassi highlighted his isolation after the letter and felt the lack of support from Sicindustria. Vulnerable and isolated, he became an easy target for the mafia. The perpetrators and masterminds of his murder were eventually identified, with Salvino Madonia, the son of the Resuttana boss, pulling the trigger. However, the decision to kill Grassi was made by the entire Mafia Commission. Grassi’s death, like other sacrifices of civilian heroes in Sicily, played a significant role in empowering Italy to enact laws to protect courageous business owners. His assassination led to the introduction of an anti-extortion law, known as Law 172, which established a solidarity fund for victims of extortion. Grassi’s sacrifice was not in vain, as it shook consciences and inspired many entrepreneurs then and now to come forward and denounce the practice of paying protection money.
