Francesca Rispoli, who lived under state protection for many years, had reconnected with her father, Carlo Cosco, in prison in recent years. Friends say she struggled with mental health issues and addiction. ‘Maybe this is a sign that those trying to lead another life need more support. Not just for one year, maybe their whole life,’ Rispoli argued, as organized crime groups in Italy,especially the ‘Ndrangheta,involve close-knit family networks.

The Legacy of a Courageous Testimony

In Cosco’s case, both her mother’s family and her father were tied to the mafia. She had always refused to believe her father’s story that her mother had abandoned her to start a new life in Australia. In fact, he had tricked Garofalo to a meeting, then had her strangled, her body dismembered then incinerated. Several years later, a statement by one of the killers finally allowed police to recover some fragments of bone and a necklace, which Cosco identified.

Public Grief and a Call for Support

At a public funeral in 2013, she spoke of her mother’s courage in ‘putting herself on the line… for justice for all.’ Her father and three accomplices were already serving life in prison. At the trial, Cosco described herself as a ‘proud witness for justice’ and said she had taken the difficult choice to testify,speaking from behind a screen—because she wanted ‘inner freedom to start over’ with her life. The tragic death of a woman who testified against her father has sparked renewed calls for long-term support for those seeking to leave organized crime behind.

A Family Tied to the Mafia

‘The mafia, it’s not just something physical. You can leave. You can change your name,’ she told the BBC. ‘But there is still a tie, a family tie, that stays… deep inside and is impossible to overcome.’ Cosco, like her mother, had lived under state protection with a new name and identity for many years. The case highlights the deep-rooted and complex nature of mafia family connections, which often persist even after individuals have distanced themselves from criminal networks.