Felice Maniero

Felice Maniero (born 2 September 1954) is a former Italian crime boss who was the head of the Mala del Brenta, a criminal organisation based in the region of Veneto throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His nickname is Faccia d'Angelo ("Angel Face").

Early life

Maniero was born in Campolongo Maggiore. At the age of three, his family moved to Turin where his father worked as a test driver at Fiat. In 1964 they returned to Campolongo Maggiore, where they bought a restaurant, which soon became a meeting point for the local mafia.

Maniero's criminal career began in his adolescence, when he helped his paternal uncle, Renato, with cattle thefts. He later conducted robberies of jewelry stores. Maniero gained accomplices and eventually transformed his gang into a full-fledged mafia organization. His gang robbed up to two billion lire from the Venice Casino and the Marco Polo Airport where 170 kg of gold was being shipped.

Arrests and escapes

Maniero was first arrested in 1980, and escaped from prison twice. The first escape was in 1987 from the prison of Fossombrone. On 10 October 1991, he had his men steal the chin of Saint Anthony statue from the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua to blackmail the State to demand for the freedom of his cousin, without success. In August 1993, he was arrested on his yacht off the coast of Capri and was detained in the prison of Vicenza where he attempted to escape by unsuccessfully bribing two prison guards. He was transferred to the prison of Padua where, on 14 June 1994, he escaped together with other accomplices after bribing a prison guard.