Licio Gelli. One of the worst terrorists in world history and Cianci ally.
Air Force One touched down in Rome on May 3rd, 1982. A seemingly innocuous event that set both Italy and America on a collision course. Cianci was not a fan of Berlinguer. Berlinguer during his time as Prime Minister had done more for communism than anyone since Lenin. His “clean” Eurocommunism was undeniably rehabilitating communism in the West and the third world. Instead of harsh, incompetent, and totalitarian Marxist-Leninism of the Soviet Union and whatever the hell you’d describe the insanity of Maoist-Wangism Eurocommunism was starting to surge in popularity in the third world. Amongst Arabs especially Eurocommunism found supporters. This was due to Berlinger’s foreign policy which was staunchly pro-Arab compared to the pro-Iranian and pro-Israeli positions of the Jenkins Ministry and Cianci administration. Berlinguer on the other hand was sympathetic to Egypt and the Palestinians which earned him a great deal of respect amongst the Arab population of the Nile and the Levant. But too Cianci this was a treacherous position that threatened the West’s geopolitical position. The final straw was when Berlinguer managed to pass sanctions against both the PRRI and Iran for their various war crimes. The PCI being emancipated from Soviet influence suffered little repercussions from the Soviet bloc besides a token denouncement. From the US, UK, and France they received a fiery condemnation from all three. Thatcher privately called Berlinguer a Soviet puppet and Chirac called the sanctions “a dangerous attack on our allies in the Middle East.” Cianci was especially pissed off. At midnight he called Berlinguer and berated him for around an hour before Berlinguer’s wife forced her husband to go to bed. That was in April and Berlinguer and Cianci decided to settle their disagreements like men. With a conference in Rome with cameras rolling.
Going into the meeting both Berlinguer and Cianci had wildly different opinions and ideas about each other. Let's start with the former. Buddy Cianci when it came to politics was a simple man. He believed that communism was a totalitarian ideology that dismantled democracy like sepsis dismantles the immune system. His hatred of communism was no more than the average Republican politician such as Shirley Black Temple or his favorite senator David Durenberger. But unlike most politicians, his heritage influenced his decision to fiercely oppose Berlinguer’s government. Being an Italian was a source of pride for him. To him being an Italian was what it meant to be an American. A hard-working, moral man whose hard work fighting mob bosses and fighting the establishment paid off. In six years, he went from the first Republican mayor of Rhode Island to the president of the United States. When he looked over to his sister country, his second home he saw a government that was antithetical to his upbringing and the values his fellow Italians had. He wasn’t going to tolerate a country like Iran falling to communism and he sure as hell was going to do anything in his power to make sure his brothers and sisters weren’t under the hammer and sickle.
Berlinguer was a bit naive about Cianci. He didn’t like him in the first place, viewing him as a man who’d go along with the CIA’s crimes in Latin America and a hypocrite who claimed to stand for Catholic values who sat at his desk and sent weapons to fascist death squads that slaughtered priests in Latin America. Berlinguer believed that Cianci wasn’t a stuck-up thug who would attempt to screw up his government. He believed their populist views and Italian heritage would mesh well and he’d be able to hash out a deal with the United States that would leave each side happy. How wrong he was.
Things started out fine enough with Cianci and Berlinguer greeting each other at Fiumicino Airport. They shook hands and shared smiles, a scene that would piss off the conservatives in Congress for his friendly attitude towards what they viewed as a “pro-Soviet government.” These criticisms were only shared by a few though as most people appreciated the thawing of what was at the time icy US-Italian relations. The first day was a goodwill tour for Cianci which was specifically organized by Berlinguer and the PCI to make him feel welcomed and show that no ill will stood between Italy and the United States. Unlike today Cianci was very popular in Italy. Many viewed him as a principled man who fought the corrupt establishment and was a man of the people. He was like a brother to the Italian people. Communists who praised Berlinguer and the likes of Nilde Iotti praised Cianci in the same breath. To them, Berlinguer and Cianci were cut from the same cloth. Both made peace with the establishments of the country, Berlinguer with Catholicism and liberal democracy, and Cianci with the New Deal. Both were vehemently anti-corruption and during their terms (from what the Italians could see) fought the fight that needed fighting against the smothering tyranny of corruption. Finally, they both proved everyone wrong. Both of them became the leaders of their respective countries against all the odds. Berlinguer emancipated the PCI from the stigma of the Soviet Union and authoritarianism that was viewed as compatible with communism. Cianci went from the mayor of not even the 100th most populous city to the president of one of the two hegemonic powers that controlled the world.
But Cianci didn’t feel that way. The adoring crowds were further evidence that Berlinguer was unpopular and a tyrant much like the Communist regime in Poland. In addition to his belief that Eurocommunism was a tyrannical ideology that was going to destroy his homeland, he viewed Berlinguer as a useful stooge for the Soviet Union. Despite, Berlinguer’s fierce opposition to Ustinov’s regime and support for the Solidarity Movement in Poland his opposition to nuclear weapons in Italy, and his praise of Liberation Theology.
By the end of the first day, both parties were sleepless as they were about to meet face to face. Both sides didn’t know how the meeting was going to affect history and few knew the butterflies the seemingly minor meeting was going to have. At 9:30 AM both men arrived at the Italian Parliament building. Cianci came from the right of the hallway with a feeling of confidence and a prepared hardline attitude, similar to what he used to intimidate Robert Bauman. To Cianci’s left was Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and to his right was Colonel Oliver North who was his de facto chief military advisor. Berlinguer came from the left of the hallway with a smile on his face and an aura of bravado and confidence that was unparalleled in not the building but all of Rome. To his left were Achille Occhetto, his Minister of Foreign Affairs and protege. To his right was his Deputy Prime Minister and friend Aldo Moro. All three of the men had coached each other the night before on what to say and how to show their respect to the United States delegation. When the two parties met both of them shook hands and exchanged greetings. “Should we get to work gentlemen?” Said Occhetto, nodding his head. At that point, the two groups split off. Cianci and Berlinguer went into a room by themselves and Rumsfeld and North went with Occhetto and Moro to a room across from Cianci and Berlinguer’s room.
Berlinguer and Cianci sat across from each other in the brightly lit room. On the north wall was the flag of Italy and on the south wall were photos of the current Berlinguer Ministry. “So where should we start president?” Asked Berlinguer with a gleeful voice.
“I think a good place to start is your opposition to the Iranian Republic,” said Cianci with a serious yet oddly cheerful tone that he was known for.
“I think that would be an excellent way to start off the meeting.”
“Okay. First, your opposition to the Iranian Republic is a dangerous miscalculation on your part. The sanctions frankly are sabotaging the Iranians ability to liberate themselves from the Communist menace. Furthermore, if they lose to either Iraq or the PRRI a decent chunk of the oil in the world will be controlled by madmen,” said Cianci as he prepared to go into his mob boss debate style.
“President with all due respect the idea that I’m somehow sabotaging the efforts of a democratic regime is preposterous. Just because Khamenei and his friends are opposing the Soviet-backed proxy doesn’t mean anything to me. What means something to me is which side is moral and respects the dignity and liberty of the poor and the workers.”
“If you supported the rights of the workers then you’d support the side that will allow them to participate in free and democratic elections,” said Cianci, with him beginning ton tap his foot as he started to become slightly agitated.
“The thing is the Islamists don’t give a damn about democracy. Khamenei and his friends haven’t given a moment of consideration to even the liberal parties in their country. Do you think they’d listen to the social democrats or the socialists? They kill homosexuals for their mere existence, even though they don’t threaten their power like the workers who’ll organize against their religious extremism. The moment the poor of Persia hit the streets they will be shot and killed much like what the Shah did.”
Cianci’s dash of happiness in his tone was gone as soon as Berlinguer said that. From that point on Cianci didn’t suspect but fully believe Berlinguer was what he thought. A radical stooge who was hell-bent on sabotaging NATO in the Cold War. “Comparing the Islamists, who overthrew the Shah to the Shah is a ridiculous comparison. It’s like comparing me to a mob boss when I took them down as mayor, governor, and president. If you want to compare anyone to the Shah, then that would be the godless communists at the PRRI whose militias have massacred the anti-communist dissidents as Ustinov did in Poland.”
“Which is why I sanctioning the PRRI too. The problem with your view on the Iranian Civil War with all due respect is the belief that a wrong justifies a wrong that perpetuates violence. My view is that wrong doesn’t justify a wrong and that we must stand up for what’s right in regard to foreign policy no matter what ideology the perpetrator of tyranny or atrocities is.”’
“The problem with that logic is that not all ideologies are the same!” Cianci responded with a raised voice with a dash of anger to replace his usually cheery attitude. “Yeah, the Islamists may be bastards but they’re our bastards. They may kill some sinners but compare to giving the totalitarian communists in the North control over the world’s oil? They’re saints who will allow the west to flow with so much oil we wouldn’t know what to do with.”
“I don’t care what their lifestyle is. Homosexuals have human rights and even if you disagree with it based on Catholic doctrine then you must oppose their murder at the hands of theocratic thugs under the sixth commandment. What is the morality of collecting resources if they are collected through the blood of innocents?”
“They’re resources that will end the tyranny of your ideology and sweep the Soviets into the dustbin of history.”
“But at what cost? The cost of our morality and sanity?”
“Listen you sonvabitch. We have a chance to strike a blow against those thugs Ustinov and Rajavi. If you want to sabotage our effort, I will not be surprised nor will I condone your actions that are antithetical to the values, we were raised in. Your legacy unlike mine will be one of capitulation to tyranny while mine will be one who fought against tyranny!”
Berlinguer sighed and couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was a de facto puppet for tyrants? Ridiculous. He had denounced Ustinov’s thuggery in the same way he had protested Jackson’s and Khamenei’s. “First Mr. Cianci I am not some kind of scrooge for tyrants. I may be a communist, but I am one who has unlike Ustinov a respect for the law and democracy. I am a man who emancipated my party from the grasp of the Soviet Union even if my fellow communists attacked me for the decision. Saying I’m a useful stooge for the Soviets is like saying the Pope is a useful stooge for the FRS and Ortega.”
“It doesn’t matter what you and the Pope think you are it’s what everyone sees you as. I see you guys as nothing more than stooges who use your power to sabotage the global fight against communism. We both know the reason you’re so hesitant to sanction Rajavi and contribute your fair share to NATO.”
“I will not contribute to acts of aggression that cost thousands of lives in the name of ideological proxy wars. This brings me to the next point and that’s the issue of nuclear weapons in my country.”
“Oh God help me,” said Cianci as if he read Berlinguer’s mind. “Lemme guess, you’re going to want the US to remove your one defense against a Soviet intervention?”
“I want all nuclear weapons out of my country. Italy is already a part of NATO which guarantees protection in case of a Soviet invasion. These nuclear weapons serve no purpose but to escalate tensions with Italy and the Soviet Union, therefore putting us at a greater risk of attack at the hands of Ustinov and the Red Army. The last thing I want is my country to contribute to the nuclear arms race between the US and the Soviet Union that puts billions of lives, including every one of my fellow Italian citizens in the hands of a few people who if one makes a mistake or has bout of insanity will end those billions of lives. Like you I want what’s best for the people of my country and in my opinion weapons of mass destruction in my country will not end well if there’s an accident at one of the missile silos or military bases.”
“What you just said was ridiculous. More ridiculous than your belief that communism is a legitimate ideology that will allow your country to thrive. We both know that your policies have led to millions of gallons of blood being spilled by the state.”
“I am many things. An opponent of the Islamists and nuclear weapons, you’ve got that right but a goddamn mass murder? Is that some kind of disgusting hyperbolic joke?”
“I never said you were a mass murder. But I’m not going to mince words. You are no better than the Left in the 60s. Like them, you have a huge heart but you simply are an idealist who’s blinded by sweet talk from dead radicals who think that just one more attempt to implement communism or socialism will prove it works. But like all the attempts before your ideal world will fail frankly fail because it denies the basic liberty needed for a society to survive that will lead to thousands of deaths.”
“Cianci. I took you as a good man, much like my friend Aldo who I may disagree with but who I can work with to find a suitable compromise that would lead to good relations and understanding. Instead, you are no better than that thug Jackson. Both of you have been filled with the poisonous red-baiting by the far-right in America, the poison that makes you believe that I, the man who has denounced the crimes of the Soviet Union and its puppet regimes in Eastern Europe is somehow a useful stooge for tyrants then I don’t know what to say besides you’re wrong and playing a dangerous game.”
“What game?” Sneered Cianci.
“The game of diplomacy. No one is going to want to be your ally if all you do is try and bully those who disagree with you then the only favor, you’ll do is give people a reason to hate you. The only people your cruel and slanderous accusations will help is the Red Brigades who’ll view you as the man who represents everything wrong with the capitalist system. An ignorant bully who attacks those who disagree with him.”
Cianci gritted his teeth and replied; “this isn’t about just ideological differences. This is about defending my ancestor's land from communism.”
“Ya know what? Never mind” replied Berlinguer, rolling his eyes as he wondered why he scheduled this meeting in the first place. This squabble isn’t getting us anywhere and I figure you don’t like having your time wasted. Let's try and settle another issue. Are there any you have in mind, Mr. Cianci?”
“Yes indeed. Your proposal to dismantle the right to a business in Italy.”
“I respectfully wouldn’t call it the dismantling of business. The plan of my government is not to destroy businesses but to turn them over to the hands of the people much like how the Republican tradition seeks to turn over the government to the people.”
“But does that matter if you won’t have enough money to buy bread? Not everyone is willing or able to run a business. There cannot be a democracy, in the same way, there can’t be democracy in the cabinet. You ask them to do the necessary work to make sure the machine is well oiled and working. If I allowed by the cabinet to run itself there would be no order and the government would collapse.”
“With all due respect Mr. Cianci, we’ll have to agree to disagree on this issue.”
“With all due respect no. Italy is my true homeland, where my family lived and died before they came to America. Hell, my great-grandfather was the mayor of Benevento. I will do everything in my power to stop this beautiful country from falling into economic ruin and tyranny like China and the Soviet Union.”
“I promise I will not destroy the beautiful country I was raised in Mr. Cianci. Like you I love this country and I will stop at nothing to see it thrive. I ask you not to make a fool of yourself and get involved.”
Berlinguer answering a question (Cianci is out of view to his left).
Cianci would not stay out of Italy but to his credit, he would not make a fool of himself. He did something much worse. Cianci’s meeting with Berlinguer only convinced him that Berlinguer was a dangerous radical who wasn’t a malicious thug like Ustinov or Hongwen but an idiot who would lead his country to ruin. While taking questions from reporters he could hardly focus on their questions. Berlinguer was noticeably happier, talking about how they had their disagreements, but he felt like the US was a sister to Italy. By the end of the press conference, Cianci was angry. Angry at the fact Berlinguer was correct. What could he do without making himself look like a fool? If he sanctioned Italy, he would be harming his fellow Italians, including millions who opposed Berlinguer. If he called for Berlinguer’s resignation he would earn the scorn of NATO and the Eastern Bloc for interfering with Italy’s affairs. Just when he was about to resign himself being defeated by a communist a man walked into the room with Oliver North. “Who the hell are you?”
Cianci's man on the inside.
“This man right here Mr. President is the solution to our problems with the Berlinguer regime.”
“Ah really? Now ya piqued my interest. What’s your name sir?”
The man in the white suit and black tie put out his cigarette and with confidence that only Cianci could rival began to speak. "My name is Silvio Berlusconi Mr. President, and me and my friends have a proposition about the communism problem.”
Cianci stood up and shook the man’s hand. “Call me Buddy, please. What do you prefer to be called?”
“Silvio please.”
“Well, Silvio my ears are open.”
“Thank you, Buddy. Now onto business. As we all know Italy has been controlled by the Communists under Berlinguer since 1978 when Moro decided instead of democracy and rationality that we would compromise with communism and insanity. Our organization is at the forefront of resisting the economic collapse that the Communists seek to bring about. We are just like the Nationalists during the Chinese Civil War we seek a country free of communism. Now, we’re not suicidal mass murders who want to kill thousands in a civil war but patriots who will use less bloody means to dismantle the tyranny of communism and the Berlinguer regime. Our plan is to centralize power in the hands of business leaders, anti-communist politicians, fellow common patriots, and those in the media to guide Italian society like a business where the common man will prosper. In other words, we are Propaganda Due.”
“First, of all Silvio. Ya seem like a godsend. Too good to be true. I know for a fact that an organization with that kind of political and economic capital has to have a king on top of the scheme. I’m going to be here for another day so gimme a meeting with him and we may just have a deal.”
“That is doable” replied Berlusconi as the two men shook hands and sealed Cianci’s fate.
The next day Cianci, North, and Rumsfeld went to a villa called Villa Licio in the south of Rome to discuss a potential partnership with P2. North and Cianci were suspicious of P2 due to it being too good to be true. But Berlusconi made good on his promise as the leader of P2 himself game to greet them. Licio Gelli came in dawning a black and white suit with a sash around him. Rumsfeld had been told this was a meeting with an Italian general to gain information on Berlinguer’s true plans. You can imagine his shock when he realized he was in a masonic lodge. Rumsfeld left the room and waited in the kitchen, not wanting to be a part of what he viewed as a clearly embarrassing blunder on Cianci and North’s part. After he left the meeting got down to business. Cianci started the conversation in Italian, saying “Mr. Gelli I have to say I’m impressed with your organization you have here. But I don’t cut deals before I have the evidence that you’re the real deal. How do ya make your money? Who do ya have on your side? Because if you’re a bunch of rich folks who drink wine while bitchin about communism rather than putting the money where your mouth is.”
“Well, Cianci we have a list of all our high-ranking members of the upper echelon of Italian society,” said Gelli as he pulled the list from his pocket and handed it to Cianci. “As you can see, we have politicians, bankers, rich men, the claimant to the Italian throne, members of the military, and even members of Berlinguer’s administration.”
“I’m in awe Gelli. Ya actually did it. You sonvabitch you actually managed to infiltrate the bastard's government. You’ve got a deal!”
“A wise choice Mr. Cianci. What will the deal entail exactly?”
“For starters, I’ve got some buddies in the CIA who will be more than willing to provide you with funds. Just know if you do a good job the reward will be large both in morality and wealth. Second, I want in on how you’re making money currently. I know that you’re shady as hell and I respect that. Back home I got my own organization outside of the federal government and I’m looking for an expansion.”
“Well, Mr. Cianci. On behalf of Propaganda Due, I take the deal. Give me a couple of minutes and I shall have the list of people you’ll have the primary funders of this anti-communist operation. They’ll understand your investments and will value doing business with you.”
The two men shook hands as the fate of Italy was sealed. The Unholy Alliance was complete as the CIA, P2, the Mob, and Cianci joined forces to dismantle the Berlinguer government as they attempted to present an alternative to both state communism and capitalism. A grave mistake as the decision to fight for what they believed was right was one that nearly cost not them but Italy everything. Pope Nicholas VI that day was in Spain but from hundreds of miles away he could sense something was wrong. That night the feeling of existential dread swept into his soul, and he couldn’t sleep that night. He got out of his bed and prayed for guidance. The entire night he didn’t get a second of rest as the sun rises and he made the trip back to Rome. This time he was slated to discuss a visit to his home country of Brazil to discuss a meeting with the military junta. The meeting was supposed to negotiate the end to the dictatorship that had martyred so many innocents, but Nicholas VI was cautious due to the recent events in Latin America. The meeting was cut short as he could barely stay focused. In the end, they agreed to a date, with May 5th, 1982, being the selected date. Still, he couldn’t sleep due to the dread. He knew something sinister was going on under his nose. He just didn’t know what.
He read the paper as he told the cardinals and the assistants what to do and saw Cianci’s face in the newspaper. At that point his body filled with rage. He was reminded of the recent reports from El Salvador. Thousands were dead as the Green Shirts and the OPN slaughtered FDN and JNP forces in brutal raids. Furthermore, US weapons contributed to propping up South African apartheid. The fact he and Pinochet were still in power was shaken him to his core that such corrupt thugs could control their respective countries without being thrown out by the children of God. To Nicholas VI the only men worse were the ones who controlled China and turned it into a madhouse. He continued to analyze the newspaper and saw an ad for a cigar company with a cartoon of the devil on the back. He rolled his eyes and grabbed his glass of water but spilled it all over his lap. Even better he thought. As if his day wasn’t bad enough his clothes were all wet. He picked up the newspaper and the face of the cartoon devil and Cianci were now merged together due to the ink seeping through the wet newspaper. A creepy image but one Nicholas VI wouldn’t pay attention to until years later.
The next day Cianci paid a visit to two men on Gelli’s list. Their names were Roberto Calvi and Giuseppe Calo. He visited them on a tour of the Banco Ambrosiano bank’s headquarters which was one of the largest in all of Italy. There Cianci and two of Italy’s richest men smoked cigars and exchanged a couple of jokes before getting down to business. Cianci enlisted Calvi and Calo to help him launder money for Cianci’s criminal empire. In exchange for their help, Calvi and Calo would receive an 8% cut on top of having access to resources from the CIA, including weapons and information on the Italian government that was written off as going to the Contras or Justine regime for the former. Calvi and Calo would also give Cianci a conclave in the Mob’s affairs which would allow him to negotiate with the mobsters. The negotiations would be smooth considering the fact that Cianci was the most powerful man in the world and even the most powerful mobsters wanted access to him, even if it was through Cianci's low-level goons in the state department. Soon enough millions were being laundered to Cianci with the help of Calvi and P2 over international borders. That’s on top of the new opportunities Cianci was given. Soon enough he began a campaign of extortion against small business owners in Sicily and Tuscany. In exchange for “security” against the threat of a communist campaign against the business in an effort to turn it into a co-op, they would pay the Mob thousands of dollars, 10% of which would go to Cianci in exchange for giving the Mob access to his resources. Bigger mining, steel, and chemical companies especially hired the Mob to work for them. Depending on the company you could find yourself threatened by mobsters on a regular basis if you advocated for industrial democracy or criticized their anti-union policies.
Pro co-op union leader shortly after being murdered in Treviso (1986).
In some extreme cases, pro-worker activists or local communist politicians would be executed by mafia death squads. The CIA’s involvement was to encourage this business model by training sending members of the Contras to train the mobsters in torture techniques and how to properly kill someone without getting caught. Even more egregious was when the CIA in connection with the P2 Lodge actively encouraged terrorism by the NAR or other neo-fascist terrorist organizations. This was accomplished by P2 helping neo-fascist terrorists in committing their crimes or using their CIA money to fund terrorism, which was accomplished with manuals on torture and giving neo-fascists access to explosives that they often used in assassinations. This was all part of a strategy of tension that was intended to cause massive violence and therefore a massive backlash against the Berlinguer Ministry. While the CIA’s encouragement and “indirect” funding of terrorism did succeed in killing scores of civilians it didn’t make the communists any less popular as it allowed them to push for harsher policies against terrorism. Plus, the far-right committing mass murder isn’t exactly a good way to disprove communism but prove that fascism is inherently insane and evil. Did Unholy Alliance give a damn? No. Just like the hundreds killed through their funding of neo-fascist terrorist organizations and direct aiding of the Mobs terror campaign against communists and socialist civilians they gave not one pause about what they were doing. The ones who had aided the JNP and OPN’s crimes against humanity in El Salvador were soon reassigned to help with Operation Gladio in Italy.
In Italy, the deputy director of the Military Intelligence and Security Service actively sabotaged any attempts to crack down on neo-fascist terrorism. Whether through misleading investigators, planting false evidence, or sending the names of witnesses to terrorists or mobsters so they could be properly intimidated or in some cases executed. The main rule of the Unholy Alliance was to leave no loose ends and do anything to bring unnecessary attention to P2. By the end of 1982 P2 was only going to get more brazen and deeper into the government to such an extent that the Italian people felt like they were shocked by a million volts of electricity and exposed the true corruption and criminality prevalent in not only Italian society but the American government.
