Licio Gelli

Licio Gelli (born in Pistoia, April 21, 1919), masonic Grand Master of the powerful Italian lodge P2, and continued in this role after the expulsion of P2 from organised freemasonry in 1976. Gelli was also a member of the Knights of Malta.

Related Topics:
Pistoia - April 21 - 1919 - Masonic - P2 - 1976 - Knights of Malta

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During the Fascism, Gelli volunteered for the "Black Shirt" expeditionary forces sent by Mussolini to Spain in support to Francisco Franco, and subsequently became a liaison officer between the Italian blackshirt government and the Third Reich, with contacts including Hermann Göring.

Related Topics:
Fascism - Mussolini - Spain - Francisco Franco - Third Reich - Hermann Göring

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the Second World War, Gelli purportedly joined the CIA, on the recommendation of the Italian secret service, a hypothesis yet to be verified. However, he was closely connected by Edward Herman to Michael Ledeen, who is thought by many to be a close collaborator or agent of the CIA.

Related Topics:
Second World War - CIA - Edward Herman - Michael Ledeen

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gelli has been accused of having assumed an influential role in Operation Gladio, a clandestine "stay-behind" operation sponsored by the CIA and NATO to counter communist influence in Italy, as well as in other European countries. However, in the interested country, the Gladio affair has been treated, including by the courts, as having no sensible connection with the P2 affair.

Related Topics:
Operation Gladio - Stay-behind - CIA - NATO - Italy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gelli publicly declared, on repeated occasions, that he was a close friend of Argentina's leader Juan Peron — although no confirmation ever came from South America — and often affirmed, without ever explicitly explaining why, that this friendship was of real importance for Italy.

Related Topics:
Argentina - Juan Peron

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1981, a police raid on his villa in Arezzo, led to the discovery of a famous list of Italian military officers and civil servants involved in P2. The list included also industrialists, journalists and wealthy people like the current premier Silvio Berlusconi (at the time not yet in politics) and Vittorio Emanuele, the Savoy pretender to the Italian throne.

Related Topics:
1981 - Police - Villa - Arezzo - P2 - Silvio Berlusconi - Vittorio Emanuele - Savoy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The national scandal that ensued was quite thrilling, given that most of the most delicate charges of the Republic were ruled by Gelli's affiliates. A Parliamentary Commission, directed by Tina Anselmi (of the Christian Democratic party), found no evidence of crimes, but the Parliament soon issued a law banning secret associations in Italy.

Related Topics:
Tina Anselmi - Christian Democratic party

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The P2 lodge did undoubtedly have a certain power in Italy, given the public prominence of its members, and many observers still now consider it to be extremely strong. Many people today famous in Italy (starting from the top TV anchor-man Maurizio Costanzo) come from P2. One of those associated with P2 was presumed to be Michele Sindona, a banker with quite clear connections to the Mafia.

Related Topics:
Maurizio Costanzo - Michele Sindona - Mafia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A few years after the scandal, many suspects were pointed toward Gelli with reference to his eventual involvement in the murder of the Milanese banker Roberto Calvi (also known as "God's banker"), who had been jailed in the wake of the collapse of Banco Ambrosiano. On July 19, 2005, Gelli was formally indicted by Roman Magistrates for the murder of Calvi. Gelli, in his statement before the court, blamed figures connected with Calvi's work financing the Polish Solidarity movement, allegedly on behalf of the Vatican.

Related Topics:
Roberto Calvi - Banco Ambrosiano - July 19 - 2005 - Indicted - Magistrates - Solidarity - Vatican

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~