formed alliances with the Gambino crime family in New York and the Cuntrera-Caruana Mafia clan from Siculiana (Sicily) to facilitate drug trafficking. While he resided in Venezuela, "Ciaschiteddu" Greco still remained an important figure in the internal leadership of Cosa Nostra, for which he travelled to Italy regularly. He was involved in the decisions to re-establish the Mafia Commission in 1970, and whether or not to take part in the neo-fascist coup attempt of Junio Valerio Borghese for which Borghese had offered amnesty for Mafia members in prison. Cosa Nostra decided not to take part and the attempt was foiled on 8 December 1970. In January 1978, an ailing Greco traveled from his home in Venezuela to Italy in an effort to restrain Gaetano Badalamenti, Giuseppe Di Cristina and Salvatore Inzerillo from retaliating against the growing power of the Corleonesi headed by Totò Riina. His efforts were in vain and the struggle was the prelude to the Second Mafia War. On 7 March 1978, Greco died in Caracas, Venezuela from cirrhosis of the liver. References Arlacchi, Pino (1994). Addio Cosa nostra: La vita di Tommaso Buscetta, Milan: Rizzoli Dickie, John (2004). Cosa Nostra. A history of the Sicilian Mafia, London: Coronet Gambetta, Diego (1993).The Sicilian Mafia: The Business of Private Protection, London: Harvard University Press, Servadio, Gaia (1976). Mafioso. A history of the Mafia from its origins to the present day, London: Secker & Warburg Shawcross, Tim & Martin Young (1987). Men Of Honour: The Confessions Of Tommaso Buscetta, Glasgow: Collins Sterling, Claire (1990). Octopus. How the long reach of the Sicilian Mafia controls the global narcotics trade, New York: Simon & Schuster, Stille, Alexander (1995). Excellent Cadavers. The Mafia and the Death of the First Italian Republic, New York: Vintage Chotjewitz, Peter O. (1973). Malavita. Mafia zwischen gestern und morgen, Cologne: Kiepenheuer & Witsch 1923 births 1978 deaths Gangsters from Palermo Sicilian mafiosi Sicilian Mafia Commission Deaths from cirrhosis Greco Mafia clan