Carlo Vizzini

Political life

Vizzini was Secretary of the Italian Democratic Socialist Party from 1992 to 1993, Minister of Mails, and Minister for Cultural Assets and Activities (1987–88), and was a member of the Italian Senate from Sicily for Forza Italia and latterly The People of Freedom (PdL). Vizzini was a leading member of one of Forza Italia's social-democratic factions, a group known as the Reformist Inititiative Circles. The faction was succeeded by the social-democratic European Reformists when Forza Italian merged in the PdL. In 1992, as leader of the Social Democrats Italian, Italian is one of the three founders (along with Bettino Craxi and Achille Occhetto) of the Party of European Socialists.

He was a member of the Italian Antimafia Commission from 2001-2009. In 2008 he became vice president of the Commission, but relinquished his position in June 2009 after being accused of having been bribed by Massimo Ciancimino, the son of Vito Ciancimino, a former mayor of Palermo who was convicted of being a member of the Mafia. He has declared publicly and in judicial proceedings not know Massimo Ciancimino. He was charged with aiding and abetting the Cosa Nostra. On 7 January 2013, the Prosecutor of Palermo formally requested the closing of the investigation opened against the senator.

In November 2011 Vizzini left the PdL and joined the Italian Socialist Party.

Problems with the Italian Justice

Vizzini, together with Bettino Craxi and other politicians, was involved in the corruption scandal of Tangentopoli. Vizzini was found guilty but benefited from the Statute of limitations and did not serve his sentence.

Davide Faraone, member of the Democratic Party of the city council of Palermo reported the bad management of public money of the municipal company for energy AMG. Among his critics figured also a consultancy contract paied to Maria Sole Vizzini, Carlo's daughter .