Luciano Leggio

Luciano Leggio (1925 - January 16, 1993) was a powerful member of the Sicilian Mafia. He was the head of the Corleonisi, the Mafia Family from the town of Corleone.

Leggio took control of the Corleonisi in 1958 after having his predecessor, Michele Navarra, murdered. Leggio spent the 1960s and early 1970s increasing the strength of the Corleonisi, murdering anyone who got in it's way. In particular, Leggio wanted control of the refining and trafficking of heroin that soon provided a huge source of income to the Sicilian Mafia.

In 1974, Leggio was convicted of the murder of a rival mobster and sentenced to life imprisonment. In 1987 he was acquitted of running his criminal empire from behind bars due to lack of evidence.

He apparantly spent his time in prison painting. Some described him as very vain and he usually appeared in court wearing sunglasses, expensive tailored suits and grandly puffing on a cigar.

On January 16, 1993, Leggio died in prison from a heart attack. Curiously this was just one day after his successor, Salvatore Riina, had been finally arrested.