Licio Gelli

Licio Gelli, born on April twenty-first, nineteen nineteen, was a multifaceted Italian figure known for his controversial roles as a journalist, banker, politician, financier, entrepreneur, poet, and criminal. His early life was marked by his involvement as a fascist volunteer, which set the stage for a tumultuous career that would intertwine with Italy's political and financial scandals.

Gelli is perhaps most infamously recognized for his connection to the Banco Ambrosiano scandal and the Bologna massacre. His clandestine activities came to light in nineteen eighty-one when he was revealed to be the Venerable Master of the secretive Masonic lodge Propaganda Due, commonly referred to as P2. This revelation not only tarnished his reputation but also led to his arrest in Switzerland in nineteen eighty-two.

In a dramatic turn of events, Gelli managed to escape from prison the following year. However, he would later agree to surrender to Swiss authorities for a brief period in nineteen eighty-seven. Following these tumultuous years, Gelli spent the majority of his later life under house arrest at his residence in Arezzo, Italy, from nineteen ninety-six until his death in two thousand fifteen.