«I hope one day to be free, I am innocent. I feel at home. I am Italian and I am finally in Italy. I make myself available to my country to be a positive lever in my own small way. I want to help.” These are the first words of Chico Forti when he recently arrived in the Verona prison, the Montorio prison. Listening to them is Fratelli d’Italia deputy Andrea Di Giuseppe, the person who perhaps did more than anyone to get him back after a quarter of a century spent in a maximum security penitentiary in Florida. Forti is clear to whom his gratitude should be addressed. “The credit goes to Giorgia Meloni – she reiterated yesterday – I say thanks to her and to the entire government”. Also because he is the first life prisoner that Washington allows to serve the rest of his sentence in his country of origin. A more unique than rare fact. It should be remembered, in fact, that the 65-year-old from Trentino who returned from Miami on Saturday morning on an Air Force flight was convicted 24 years ago for the murder of the Australian entrepreneur Dale Pike, which occurred in 1998.
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A highly controversial case, with a trial and sentence based solely on circumstantial evidence. Suffice it to say that the victim’s brother never believed in his guilt. Forti arrived in Verona after a night spent in the Roman prison of Rebibbia. The Prime Minister welcomed him upon his arrival at Pratica di Mare airport on Saturday morning and wanted to see him in his eyes after he had promised him that he would bring him home. Then yesterday he left for Verona where he arrived just before 2pm. The banner with the words “Welcome Francesco” was still hanging at the entrance, in homage to the Pope who had visited the structure the day before. It seems that someone decided to leave it hanging there to show it to Forti, perhaps thinking that Chico is a diminutive of Francesco and not Enrico as it is actually his baptismal name. Then, at 5.30pm, the visit from Di Giuseppe, who had also met him quickly two days ago in Pratica di Mare. The two know each other very well. The FdI deputy has visited him often in all these years in Miami. The first ever request made by Forti is a special permit to visit his 96-year-old mother, Maria Lonar Forti, since the woman can no longer move. The two haven’t seen each other since 2008.
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His mother, as he himself said, has always been his anchor, the person who has allowed him to resist all these years: “I have remained like this only for her.” A very difficult test for a person who has always professed himself innocent, even if at a certain point – he said – he was forced to plead guilty, “otherwise I would never have obtained extradition”. Di Giuseppe accompanied him until he entered the cell. Thus he was able to witness the welcome that the other inmates gave to Forti, when a long spontaneous applause and chants broke out: «Chico, Chico, Chico». And a cry: “Innocent.” Forti barely held back his tears. The Montorio structure can be considered one of the best in the Italian panorama for how it is maintained. There are many activities offered to prisoners. Forti, an expert dog trainer, is already thinking of dedicating himself to a similar job, given that there is a boarding house for the animals here. He shares the cell with two other people. It is large, there is a television and even a desk. When Di Giuseppe greeted him he was about to be served dinner. As before, he brought a plate of pasta with mussels.
