No funeral for Daniele Emmanuello to take place in his church in Sicily.

Bishop Michele Pennisi, 62, stood his ground against the Cosa Nostra and said that he would not allow the funeral of one of its bosses, Daniele Emmanuello, 43, to take place in his church in Sicily.
Within days of making the ruling he was the target of a poison pen campaign and posters and flyers of him appeared overnight containing threats against him.
Emmanuello, 43, was the Godfather of his family and had been on the run for more than ten years before he was tracked down by police to an isolated country farmhouse at Villarosa near Enna two months ago.
In the shoot-out with police he was gunned down and as he lay dying officers pulled from his throat pizzini, or little notes, that he had used to pass on orders to members of his crime family.
Emmanuello was the boss of the Caltanissetta region, accused of more than a dozen murders by police, and was said to control a multi-million drug and construction empire.
The bishop's residence and office in the town of Piazza Amerina has been ringed by armed guards. Officials said it was the first time an escort had been assigned to a bishop since 1984.
Bishop Pennisi said: "The Lord will protect us and free us from the Mafia and from the pizzo [protection money payments].
"I have been the target of threats and insinuations from the beginning, and I did not wish to respond to and give further ammunition to these people.
"However the police have told me not to underestimate these people and as such I have been assigned protection - I understand the last religious figure to do so was the Bishop of Palermo in 1984.
"The flyers said that I was a servant of the State because I had refused to allow Emmanuello's funeral to take place in my church.
"I believe this was the right decision - my mission is against the Mafia and I have always believed that between the Mafia and Christian values there is no compatibility.
"It is the Christian duty of everyone to fight crime and make these so called men of honour become new people.
"I assured the Emmanuello family of my spiritual help but that I was not going to allow the funeral to take place in the church.''
Emmanuello's funeral has since been conducted in a local cemetery but it is not known if there was any religious element to the service.

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Alex Del Nogal

Alex Del Nogal was arrested in Trapani, Sicily, south Italy, for his alleged involvement in drug traffic among Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela and Europe, and he will be prosecuted next week in the Sicilian capital of Palermo, local media reported, as quoted by Efe.
Del Nogal was arrested last September when he tried to enter Italy, as the police issued a search and arrest order for him under charges of alleged drug traffic. He faced trial last January 25.
However, the judge hearing the case released Del Nogal from prison on a technicality, despite the request of the prosecution to keep the defendant in jail for alleged risk of flight.
The Venezuelan Embassy in Rome told Efe that Alex Del Nogal, following his release from jail, was in a foreigners' shelter in Trapani waiting for being deported to Venezuela.
The Embassy said it had no information on his new arrest.
According to local media, the prosecution asked for his detention again arguing that there was a high risk of flight.
Last January 25, Alex Del Nogal was prosecuted together with his brother Richard del Nogal -who was convicted to 15 years in jail and who has not been arrested yet. Four Italian citizens were also convicted to jail terms in this case.

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