The notorious Mafia boss Bernardo Provenzano, who was the undisputed head of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra from 1993 until 2006, has died in hospital at the age of 83.

Dubbed "the Tractor" for his ruthless treatment of clan enemies, Provenzano died at the San Paolo hospital in Milan, where he was being treated for cancer.

He was transferred to the hospital in 2014 after Italy's supreme court rejected a plea from his lawyers that he should be released from prison on the grounds of ill health.

He was serving several consecutive life sentences following his arrest in 2006.

Image: Provenzano was finally arrested in 2006 near Palermo

Provenzano had reportedly attempted suicide in 2012 in his prison cell, but was stopped when guards found him with a bag over his head.


Born in the village of Corleone, the town made famous in the Godfather films, Provenzano reportedly committed his first murder at the age of 25 when he killed a rival Mafia boss.

He eventually became second in command to Godfather Salvatore "Toto" Riina, who led the Cosa Nostra during a series of gang wars in the 1980s.

Image: Provenzano was born in Corleone, the town made famous in the Godfather films

He took control of the organisation following Riina's arrest in 1993, and became known for his mastery of the crime empire's finances.

In the 1990s, when Provenzano was being sought by authorities, the price on his head was said to be around €1.5m (£1.25m)

Police got a lucky break in 2002 when they received a tip-off that he had undergone an operation for prostate cancer in Marseille, leaving behind a copy of an identity card which bore a false name.

Provenzano was finally arrested in 2006 at a farmhouse near Palermo, ending a 43-year stretch on the run.