The '' Banda della Magliana '' was involved in criminal activities during the Italian years of lead ( '' anni di piombo '' ) . The Italian justice tied it to other criminal organizations such as the '' Cosa Nostra '' , '' Camorra '' or '' ' Ndrangheta '' , but most importantly also to neofascist activists such as the Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari ( NAR ) , responsible for the 1980 Bologna massacre , the secret services ( SISMI ) and political figures such as Licio Gelli , grand-master of the freemasonic lodge Propaganda Due ( P2 ) . Along with Gladio , the NATO clandestine anti-communist organization , P2 was involved in a strategy of tension during the years of lead which included false flag terrorist attacks . These ties , underground compared to their standard ( i.e. " run-of-the-mill " ) activities ( drug dealing , horserace betting , money laundering , etc. ) , have led the '' Banda '' to be related to the political events of the conflict which divided Italy into two during the Cold War , and in particular to events such as the 1979 assassination of journalist Carmine Pecorelli ; the 1978 murder of former Prime minister Aldo Moro , also leader of the Christian Democracy who was negotiating the historic compromise with the Italian Communist Party ( PCI ) ; the 1982 assassination attempt against Roberto Rosone , vice-president of Banco Ambrosiano ; " banker of God " Roberto Calvi 's 1982 murder ; and also the 1980 Bologna massacre . Finally , the mysterious disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi , a case peripherally linked to former Grey Wolves member Mehmet Ali Ağca 's 1981 Pope John Paul II assassination attempt , has also been related to the gang . Though the Emanuela Orlandi case may not be connected to the " Grey Wolves " , but may have been one of the " run-of-the-mill " Banda della Magliana criminal activities , the Orlandi kidnapping was allegedly designed to persuade the legally immune Vatican Bank to restore inequitably retained funds to Banco Ambrosiano creditors
Pope John Paul II assassination attempt
Pope John Paul II assassination attempt
Banda della Magliana