Cinisi Renders Homage to Peppino Impastato

Peppino Impastato was killed by the mafia in Cinisi 34 years ago. He was a young left-wing activist, who dared attacking the power and the interests of “Cosa Nostra” through his radio station “Radio Aut”.

Peppino Impastato was born in Cinisi in a mafia-related family, but he refused this destiny and broke up with his family when he was still a young boy. Peppino Impastato spoke spoke out against the mafia and denounced local politicians for their complicity. This wrote his death sentence.

Peppino Impastato was killed by an explosion on May 9, 1978. The police archived the case as terrorist attack, then as a suicide, but his friends never accepted this fabricated truth.

After 23 years of legal battles, the local boss Tano Badalamenti was sentenced to life prison for this homicide. Each year on May 9, many events take place in Cinisi to commemorate Peppino Impastato. A full week of debates, conferences and workshops end with a march departing from the historic headquarters of Radio Aut station to the Peppino’s house.

I Cento Passi (The One-Hundred Steps), film released in 2000 and directed by Marco Tullio Giordana, tells the story of Peppino Impastato. One hundred was the numer of the steps it took to get from Peppino’s home to the house of Tano Badalamenti.

This movie has won several awards such as the David di Donatello Award 2001, Brussel Film Festival 2001 and Venice Film Festival  and has given notoriety to Peppino’s story who lost his life against the mafia.