Tuesday, June 22, 2010

The Aviello Story Seems To Show The RS & AK Defenses All But Concede Guilt Of All 3

Posted by Peter Quennell


Defenses Grasping At Straws?

The Sollecito defense latched with alacrity onto baby-killer and jailhouse-snitch Mario Alessi three months ago.

This seemed to have been widely taken in Italy as a sign of the Sollecito defense’s desperate weakness, rather than as a get-out-of-jail-free trump-card for RS.

Several weeks ago, the Amanda Knox defense latched onto Camorra clan-member and jailhouse snitch Luciano Aviello.

With a lot less alacrity though - his various stories have been around for a long time.  This seemed to have been widely taken in Italy as a sign of the Knox defense’s desperate weakness,

Luciano Aviello, who is now in prison, and his brother Antonio, now on the run, are or were connected to the Camorra (NBC Dateline report above) which is Naples’s equivalent of the Cosa Nostra in Sicily and the NDrangheta in Calabria. The Camorra was in some ways the older, larger and badder of the several mafia arms.

Luciano Aviello and Antonio Aviello were living in Perugia at the time the crime against Meredith took place. Over a year ago, our poster Catnip posted this translation of a report from Italy on the Perugia Murder File board.

Saturday 09 May 2009

Prisoner writes: ‘I know real murderer’s name’

“I know the real name of Meredith’s killer, a fellow-brother Albanian friend of mine told me, and it’s not Raffaele Sollecito.” Luciano Aviello is Raffaele Sollecito’s ex-cellmate and, now, maybe encumbering his admirer, is writing another letter to Court of Assize president Giancarlo Massei.

A few weeks ago he had sent a letter in which he claims to have asked two of his friends to break into the murder house to prove that anybody could have done so. Yesterday, the page count of his letter jumped to five, and the tone was angrier.

He’s had it with journalists, because they’ve referred to his less than clear past, and because they wrote about his previous never-proven-true “revelations” on various important and dramatic criminal cases (like the disappearance of little Angela Celentano).

He’s had it with the police too, in whom he confided his secret about Raffaele’s innocence and who didn’t even give him the time of day.

He maintains that, actually, he has a letter written by an Albanian friend, which contains the real name of the murderer, and he wants to speak only to the court president, Giancarlo Massei, to reveal it to him.

Even the lawyer on the civil side of the case, Francesco Maresca, acting for the Kerchers, remains skeptical: “That letter ought to be re-read carefully: it’s not flour from his grainsack*”.

*****************

* This is a proverbial phrase (non è farina del suo sacco = “it’s not grist from his own mill”) meaning it wasn’t written off his own bat, and that other hands contributed to it.

And there is a video of a Sky News Italy report in Italian dated 21 April 2009 which in effect says “this isn’t any big deal’.

Judge Massei showed no interest in him. So Aviello and his kaleidoscopic claims thereupon went onto the back burner.

Fast-forward to several weeks ago, when the Knox defense engages in a high-profile, noisy flurry of activity to get a deposition from Luciano Aviello.

This time, Luciano recalls,  it was actually his own missing brother who did it, and he himself buried some clothing, a knife, and some keys.

Casting total doubt on everything Luciano Aviello ever says, his hometown newspaper Il Mattino in Naples comes out with this report. It is our translation.

The Meredith Case - A Mariano Clan Supergrass Pops Up

“Amanda Is Innocent”

By Gigi di Fiore

In the newsroom of the Mattino he seemed at ease. Luciano Aviello was [20 years ago] just over twenty years old, and had asked to recount his experience as a “streetwise youth in the Mariano Camorra clan”.

In an earlier time, a war was in full swing in the Spanish Quarter [of Naples] between the Mariano clan, the “picuozzo” [another name for this clan after the “picuozzo” or cord around a monk’s habit] and the Di Biase family, also known as the “faiano”.

The DDA (Direzione Distrettuale Antimafia or Distict Anti-Mafia Directorate) did not yet exist, but Federico Cafiero de Raho was already employed as prosecutor in the investigations into organized crime.

It was he who dealt with that bloody war. Twenty years later, Aviello had become a news-magazine character. Now in his own words, he claims to have a rolet in the Perugia trial for the Meredith Kercher case as a “decisive” witness.

On 19 April of last year, he addressed two little hand-written pages to the President of the Court of Assizes of Perugia, Giancarlo Massei. He declared himself ready to tell the truth, and revealed that he had twice given some friends of his the task of breaking the seals on the house where the crime took place.

On 31 March of this year, Amanda Knox’s defense team video-recorded the declarations made by Aviello, who is now 41 years old. As the weekly news-magazine “Oggi” writes, he said: “It was my brother who murdered Amanda [sic]. I can recover for you the knife used in the crime and the keys of that house”.

This fellow arrived on the third floor of via Chiatamone [Editor’s office of the Mattino] wearing casual clothes with a pretence of elegance: he never retracts anything, always seeking to find suitable words to best describe his “revelations”.

Contact lenses, slim, a cousin killed because he was affiliated to the Mariano clan, Aviello spoke, revealing an outline personality, in a shadow world of braggadoccio, always on the sidelines of the dealings and violent acts of those in power among the clans of the Quarter at that time.

He ended up in jail, having confessed to a murder. It wasn’t true, but they had promised him 5 million lira, a lawyer and an annuity.

The clan didn’t respect the pact, and so he began to talk freely. Enticed by the good life, he began to act as a gofer/go-between selling “black lottery” tickets. He felt important. He earned 500 thousand lira per week.

It wasn’t bad. Then he did “embassies” [message-running], little services, but never great criminal leaps. The clans considered him “not very trustworthy”.

He was implicated in the investigation into the Spanish Quarter Camorra, and convicted.

Today, Federico Cafiero, now deputy prosecutor and DDA Coordinator for the investigations into the Caserta province clans, says of him: “He was altogether untrustworthy, although every so often he would invent a new one [new story]. A revelation, as he would call it, which would subsequently reveal itself to be out and out nonsense”.

Such as when he said that he knew where Angela Calentano was to be found, or that he knew the hideouts of the main fugitives of the D’Alessandro di Castellammare clan.

For his “revelations” against Tiziana Maiolo, ex president of the Justice Commission of the Chamber, he was hit with a trial, in 1997, for calumny.

Two years ago, he fired off his biggest tale yet: he accused a public prosecutor from Potenza in the famous trial on “dirty robes” between Catanzaro and Salerno. He was given an audience by the prosecutor Rosa Volpe in Salerno.

He had announced revelations. His contradictions were immediately exposed.

On those occasions also, the sources of his stories were newspaper articles or gossip with his cell-mates. Such as Raffaele Sollecito, or Gennaro Cappiello for the “dirty robes” investigation.

A compulsive liar, a seeker of publicity?

Twenty years ago, Aviello seemed to be a self-centred person, proud to present himself as a witness to “important facts”. But he never managed to arrive at a scheme of constant collaboration.

For various crimes, he has so far served 17 years in jail. Now the Perugia case appears. Who knows?

Our poster SomeAlibi seems to have had the last meaningful word on the absurdity of this tale. SomeAlibi posted this rather devastating satire on the PMF forum.

I can see it now..

Ghirga: “Well thank you Mr Luciano Aviello, that testimony I think the court will find extremely interesting concerning why Amanda Knox couldn’t have done the murder because it was your brother who was responsible. Despite the fact he’s missing. But thank you and I believe we’re finished.”

Luciano Aviello (quietly): “We ain’t finished”

G: “Uh?”

LA: “So, about this de-fa-may-shun thing.”

G: “Uh?”

LA: “She didn’t do it.”

G: “Sorry?”

LA: “She didn’t dooo it.”

G: “But Mr Aviello we brought you here to talk about the murder not the—”

LA: ”—see it sounds like you ain’t hearing me too good. Perhaps you need a little airation of your ears to help you with that. How would a 22 millimetre hole strike ya? She didn’t say nothing. She didn’t doooo it, capice?”

G: “But, she said it in interview. And in court. I mean, we were all there”

LA (putting tooth-pick on witness stand) “See, now you are making me repeat myself and I don’t like that at all, no I don’t. But I am a tolerant man, so maybe once more for luck ok? She didn’t dooooooooo it.”

G: “All of us were there!... She doesn’t actually disagree she said it…. hello… Mr Aviello… hello… what are you…. what are you doing… why are you counting?”

LA: “Now requiring this many pine boxes ain’t going to be ecologically acceptable my friend, so I suggest EVERYONE here learns to listen up real good ok?”

Court (all): “Huh?”

LA: “Repeat after me. She didn’t dooooooooooooooooo iiiit”

Court (all): “Like hell she didn’t”

LA: “Wise guys, huh?”

Well… that certainly went very well! This all reads like an Italian movie called in English Johnny Stecchino by Italy’s favorite funny actor Robertio Benignii

He accidentally finds himself confused with a mafiosos in Sicily, sees his days are very numbered, and starts talking fast. Very fast… He gets out of it, somehow, but the real mafioso still takes the hit.

Nice knowing you, Luciano…

Comments

Right….so, not the most reliable witness then?

This highlights, once again, that the only way forward is a defence based on the evidence.  An honest explanation of what truly happened, an explanation supported by evidence, the truth. 

The only honest way forward is to take responsibility and allow the Kercher family to know what happened so that they may find what peace they can.

Posted by Nolongeramember on 06/22/10 at 10:11 PM | #

Ever wonder why the cops, prosecutors ands judges are pretty widely admired in Italy? Why the justice system is widely regarded as something worthy of national pride?  And why the sliming from the west coast of the US and occasionally London causes Knox’s case nothing but harm?

No-one in the Italian system is especially well paid, but they keep at it with fierce dedication.

Doug Preston quite rightly got a pineapple put up his tail for interfering with a legitimate investigation, and he has made wild-eyed claims ever since. His problem is that in Italy those who agree with him are not exactly numerous, and NOT ONE Italian book on the Monster of Florence case favors his claims.

Mignini is widely admired and the population of Perugia, far from considering him a menace, actually consider themselves very lucky to have him. If Mignini was elected as a prosecutor, as some are in the US, he would seem likely to be elected by a landslide.

Innai above is right. Knox’s people need to get real and start to deal, and the wild-eyed adolescent groupies who get almost every fact of the case wrong should be renounced and sent packing.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 06/23/10 at 12:32 AM | #

The Italian press confirm that Knox’s defense’s request was denied by the Appeals Court and Judge Claudia Matteini will preside over the slander trial.

Good. She is tough and acquainted with the ominous psychological profile done of Knox. It’s looking better and better for the cause of true justice for Meredith.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 06/24/10 at 02:45 AM | #

I agree, Judge Matteini wasn’t involved with the first trial, just one of the early preliminary hearings, so there is no conflict of interest.  She was wise to refer the final say to a higher court because it was a reasonable concern from the defence team, and it is her wisdom and experience as a judge that will, along with the rest of the Italian judicial system, ensure the slander trial is fair and balanced.

Posted by Nolongeramember on 06/24/10 at 10:13 AM | #

We can be sure that the Knox/Mellas/FOA crowd will still try to claim that this is a conflict of interest, simply because they are clutching at straws even more now than before.  For this reason, despite Judge Matteini’s excellent reputation, I kind of wish they’d have chosen a judge that had no previous affiliation whatsoever with any aspects of the case.

In a previous post there was mention of some stirrings in the Sollecito camp.  Any word?

Posted by Mo-in-Mass.,USA on 06/24/10 at 12:58 PM | #

6/24/10

Alessi and Aviello. One good liar deserves another. Twin defenses, twin crazies to the rescue. As P.T. Barnum said, “There’s a sucker born every minute, and two to take him.”


OT: Yesterday at Books-a-Million I bought “Angel Face” and Candace Dempsey’s, “Murder in Italy”. I was searching for “Darkness Descending”, will buy it on Amazon. I ordered “Sea of Truth” from Amazon last week. So many books, so little time. Swimming pool calls me and lawn chair. Sunny, high 90’s. Iced tea, livin the dream. Scratching notes in Dempsey’s book of things I disagree with, but learning too.

Posted by Hopeful on 06/24/10 at 06:04 PM | #

6/25/10

3 things I learned from Candace Dempsey book:

Dempsey on p. 43 says AK “suffered from stomach problems that often resulted in painful spasms”. So AK stocked her designated shelf in the fridge at cottage with mostly veggies. The stomach problems sound like IBS or the beginning of ulcer. It’s very sad that AK was already showing signs of stress so young.  Repressed stress from years of family dysfunction? If so, she’s highstrung and tense and internalizing a lot, which may have set her up for a tremendous backlash against MK if provoked.

CD also says p. 83 that at police station, Sophie heard Amanda talking to her Italian roommates. “Threat. Threat. Threat,” AK kept repeating loudly. “Threat. Threat. Threat.”

CD’s book opens with a night scene in old Perugia, with students dressed as Dracula and Spiderman for Halloween to “descend steep staircases to underground bars” in an Edgar Allan Poe atmosphere. That linked in my mind with MK’s descent down stairs in opening of Christian Leontioux’s music video, “Some Say”. The Poe reference, maybe “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

CD says p. 35 how RS attended a friend’s graduation the day before MK died. His dad was riding him to get his final paper written so RS could graduate on Nov. 16, 2007 (my son’s birthday, Nov. 16). Maybe he feared the real world and couldn’t face graduation or going to Milan to Bocconi University to work on master’s degree as his father was urging, especially since he’d just found the love of his life, Amanda Knox. This inner conflict might have led to an unstable mindset as in torn between two lovers, near time of the murder. Better to “fail” and repeat a class for one more semester in Perugia with AK.

Posted by Hopeful on 06/25/10 at 07:15 PM | #

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