Graziano Mesina

Mesina's father was a shepherd in the Barbagia region of Sardinia. He was first arrested at 14 years old for having a stolen rifle,[4] and released with a warning. Four years later, Mesina was again arrested. He was released that same year, but shortly arrested and sent back to prison for attempted murder. He escaped from a prison train in 1962, but was re-captured. That same year he escaped again, this time from a prison hospital. Mesina shot the brother of a man who he thought killed his brother, and was sent to prison for 24 years.[5]

Mesina escaped from prison in 1966 with Miguel Atienza by climbing over a 7.3 m (24 ft) wall and began a kidnapping spree.[4][5] He was arrested on 26 March 1968, after a 10 million lira reward was offered. That same year, The New York Times described him as "Italy's most-wanted bandit".[6] After he was arrested a crowd of schoolgirls gathered at the police station with cards saying "I love you" on them.[4] The Tough and the Mighty (1969) is based on his life.[7] In 1970, he watched Cagliari Calcio play football while dressed as a woman.[4] In August 1976, Mesina broke out of Lecce prison with a group of Italian mafia. On 16 March 1977 he was re-captured.[4][8] He again escaped in 1985, after leaving on a visit to his mother. In 1992, Mesina helped secure the release of Farouk Kassam, who had been kidnapped. The next year he was arrested again.[3][5]

On 24 November 2004,[5] then-President of Italy Carlo Azeglio Ciampi pardoned Mesina, believing he "would turn over a new leaf".[4] That year he had been in prison for a total of forty years.[5] Mesina returned to Sardinia and opened a tourism company. In 2013, he was again arrested, allegedly for setting up a drug network. The Daily Telegraph reported that he "offered no resistance".[4] Three years later, his presidential pardon was revoked. Mesina was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2018 and as of July 2020 was a fugitive from the police.[1][9]