The Borsellino Bombing and the Rise of Berlusconi

First published in July by the Italian investigative outlet L’Indipendente, Stefano Baudino and Riccardo Ongaro investigate the assassination of the two top anti-mafia judges, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, in the summer of 1992 – and how a series of cover-ups and backroom deals paved the way for the rise of Italian Prime Minister and media baron Silvio Berlusconi, as organised crime in Italy shifted from violence to politics

Emanuela Loi was 24 years old, carrying the smile of someone who still believes the world can be a just place.

Born in Cagliari, Sardinia – where the fierce mistral winds seem to sweep away fear – she chose to become a police officer at a time when, for a woman, it meant challenging deep-rooted traditions and prejudice.

She had dreamed of becoming a teacher, but her sister persuaded her to take the national police exam alongside her. In 1989, Loi joined the force. That hesitant choice soon became a calling.