Who Will Head The Family?

Ten months after the capture of Cosa Nostra’s boss of bosses Bernardo Provenzano, 74, the so-called pax mafiosa is still holding.

But Sicilian authorities warn that the period following a kingpin’s bust is a time for potential heirs to Mafia leadership to size up their rivals. Police don’t know if there has already been a secret summit to tap the new top boss, or whether a nasty rivalry is brewing — and it’s not clear which scenario is worse. Two well-established Mafia figures are considered the most likely successors.

Salvatore Lo Piccolo
Age: 64
Hometown: Palermo
Fugitive since: 1983
Profile: Low-key and loyal, has worked his way up the Mafia ladder by always allying with the right forces.
Latest Word: Palermo’s police chief publicly declared his belief in December that Lo Piccolo was indeed the Mafia’s new leader, following several recent hits that may have helped him consolidate power. On Jan. 25, a dozen men linked to Lo Piccolo were arrested in Palermo for suspected dirty construction deals.

Matteo Messina Denaro
Age: 44
Hometown: Trapani
Fugitive since: 1993
Profile: Though dubbed the Playboy boss for his taste in designer sunglasses and fast cars, he had a hand in the coldblooded assassinations of magistrates in the early 1990s.
Latest Word: Some investigators outside Palermo are more focused on Messina Denaro as the next boss. Despite his reputation as a new breed, they now believe that family man Provenzano thought highly of Messina Denaro, and may have considered him the heir apparent.