The long manhunt for Leonardo Gesualdo, 39, ended at dawn on the outskirts of Foggia. Considered one of the leading figures of the “Società Foggiana,” the local mafia organization, Gesualdo had been on Italy’s list of most dangerous fugitives since 2020.
Elite Carabinieri units (GIS) stormed a safe house where the fugitive was asleep, using controlled explosions to breach the building. Taken by surprise, Gesualdo surrendered without resistance.
During the search, officers found a handgun loaded with six bullets. Gesualdo had been sentenced in the first instance to twelve years in prison for mafia association before disappearing. His arrest marks another significant blow to organized crime in the Foggia area, where authorities have intensified operations against local clans in recent years.