▁campaign er , ▁was ▁Mayor ▁of ▁Tar anto ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁The ▁party ▁was ▁represented ▁in ▁the ▁Chamber ▁of ▁Deput ies ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁by ▁Pietro ▁Cer ul lo , ▁who ▁was ▁elected ▁in ▁the ▁single - se at ▁constitu ency ▁of ▁Tar anto ▁in ▁a ▁close ▁three - hor se ▁race , ▁and ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁by ▁Gian car lo ▁C ito ▁himself , ▁who ▁took ▁ 4 5 . 9 % ▁of ▁the ▁votes ▁in ▁Tar anto , ▁be ating ▁by ▁a ▁large ▁margin ▁a ▁centre - left ▁candidate ▁and ▁Cer ul lo , ▁who ▁had ▁left ▁the ▁party ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Federal ists ▁and ▁Liberal ▁Democr ats ▁( F LD ) ▁and ▁later ▁For za ▁Italia ▁( FI ). ▁In ▁that ▁occasion ▁the ▁party ▁came ▁close ▁to ▁winning ▁its ▁second ▁seat ▁in ▁the ▁Chamber . ▁ ▁The ▁party ▁suffered ▁several ▁set back s ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁when ▁C ito ▁won ▁only ▁ 1 3 . 9 % ▁of ▁the ▁votes ▁in ▁his ▁constitu ency ▁and ▁failed ▁to ▁be ▁re - elect ed . ▁Furthermore , ▁between ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁C ito ▁was ▁conv icted ▁for ▁M af ia ▁cr imes ▁and ▁the ▁party ▁seemed ▁almost ▁completely ▁over . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁the ▁party ▁experienced ▁anyway ▁a