Page 155 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

his dismembered corpse from a 30m crevice near Corleone (along with sackfuls of

other bodies of Mafia victims). His killers were eventually acquitted for lack of
evidence, the most common end to murder charges brought against mafiosi. Leggio
was finally imprisoned in 1974 and died in jail in 1993.

At the time of his arrest in 1993, Leggio’s trusted deputy from Corleone, Salvatore
Riina, was the most wanted man in Italy, allegedly responsible for ordering at least
150 murders, 40 of which he’s said to have committed himself. His capture came as

a complete surprise and triggered a wave of accusations, since it became clear that
for over twenty years Riina had been living in Palermo while making clandestine
visits to his family in Corleone. This, it’s said with some justification, could only
have been the case if he had enjoyed a degree of high-level protection.

The most notable among several further members of the Corleonese clan who have
been put away since Riina’s arrest is Bernardo Provenzano, known as “the

Tractor” on account of his brutal methods and also as “the Accountant” for the way
in which he increasingly blurred Mafia operations with legitimate business interests.
He was finally captured in 2006, having been convicted in absentia of a string of
murders, including the 1992 killings of the two anti-Mafia investigators Giovanni
Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: CORLEONE

By bus Corleone is 60km from Palermo and there are seven buses daily (AST), taking
1hr 30min. The main bus stop is on the central Piazza Falcone e Borsellino.

EATING AND DRINKING

Azienda Agricola Ridocco del Conte Lo Bue di Lemos Contrada Ridocco,
Campofiorito 091 846 1575, ridocco.com. An outstanding agriturismo set in the
gentle rolling hills above Corleone with rooms in the main house and converted
outbuildings of a typical masseria, belonging to (and run with grace and enthusiasm

by) a local aristocratic family. There are three double rooms with private bathrooms,
and an independent apartment with kitchen comprising a double, a twin and a single.
There is also a small swimming pool, horseriding and pony-trekking on site, and an
excellent restaurant (open to residents only) where the food is simple, genuine and

very delicious. Rooms €90; apartments from €90
Leon d’Oro Via Umbertino da Corelone 1 091 846 4287, leondorocorleone.it.

Just off the roundabout on the northern (Palermo) approach road, this three-star, villa-
style hotel with swimming pool has spacious and smart rooms, and you can enjoy
excellent crisp pizzas (€4–6), pasta and regional cuisine (dishes €6–13.50) in the