Tommaso Buscetta, 71, died on April 2, 2000 in Palermo, Italy. Buscetta was born in Palermo in 1929 to a minor Mafia family. He quickly rose to a high-ranking position in the Cosa Nostra and reportedly had connections to the Gambino and Inzerillo families. Throughout his criminal career, Buscetta was arrested and convicted numerous times, most notably spending time in jail in Brazil and the US. His life changed in 1984 when he chose to cooperate with Italian magistrates and become an informant for judicial police. This unprecedented act of betrayal, labeled as the Pentiti program, marked a major shift in the war against the Mafia in Sicily, as Buscetta provided testimony and information that shed light into the structure and practices of the Mafia. His help was considered invaluable and was rewarded, leading to his eventual permanent relocation to the United States in 1992, where he resided until his death. Although his actions angered his Mafia contemporaries, Buscetta's “collaboration and courage in testifying against the mob” made him widely respected by law enforcement. He is survived by his wife, two sons and three daughters.