Roberto Calvi was born in Milan on 1920. He worked his way up the Banco Ambrosiano and in 1975 became the Chairman of the bank which by then was Italy’s second largest Private Bank. He had been successful in building a vast financial empire, by then, and was on good terms with many celebrities in Europe. Calvi had also become increasingly involved in Propaganda 2 (P2), a secret masonic lodge, lodge headed by his friend Licio Gelli, in the 1970’s. P2 was a 2400 member neo-fascist society which catered to the elite, and is alleged to be behind the murder of the Pope John Paul I. In 1978, an assessment by the Bank of Italy concluded that Banco Ambrosiano had illegally exported several billions of lire outside the country. In May 1981, Roberto Calvi and ten others were indicted and on 20 July, he was found guilty, fined 16 billion …show more content…
The prosecution stated that Calvi’s hands had not touched the bricks, which is impossible if he had committed suicide. The breakthrough was made by a Mafiosi turned informer. The motive was alleged to be two fold. To keep the Mafia’s links with the Vatican for money laundering confidential as well as the P2’s links to the Vatican. Calvi had also apparently embezzled Mafia money and his killing was also because of his daring to do so. P2 members also called ‘frati neri’ or ‘black friars’, there was also speculation that he was hung from the Blackfriar Bridge to serve as a masonic warning. Despite the availability of motives, the court acquitted the defendants for lack of evidence on 6th June 2007. A new investigation was ordered into the murder but after thirty five odd years, many of the key people are now no more. Moreover, what additional evidence can be found after 35 years is a matter of