Location and Defendants
The Maxi trial took place next to the Ucciardone, Palermo’s massive nineteenth century Bourbon prison, in a bunker specially designed and built to try the defendants. It was a large octagonal building made from reinforced concrete that was able to prevent rocket attacks; inside there were cages built into the green walls holding the many defendants in large groups. There were over six-hundred members of the press as well as many carabinieri wielding machine guns and a 24-hour air defense system keeping an eye on the defendants and would-be attackers attempting to thwart the efforts.
Never before in the history of the Mafia had so many Mafiosi been on trial at the same time. A total of 475 defendants were facing charges, although 119 of them were to be tried in absentia as they were fugitives and still on the run (Salvatore Riina was one of these absent defendants.) Amongst the defendants were all major Mafia bosses, including Luciano Leggio, the head of the Corleonesi, who acted as his own lawyer; Michele Greco, the head of the Mafia Commission, who was arrested while the trial had already started; Giuseppe "Pippo" Calò and others.
Read more about this topic: Maxi Trial