10 Facts About Giuseppe Castellano

Giuseppe Castellano was an Italian general who negotiated and signed the armistice between Italy and the Allies on September 3,1943.

Giuseppe Castellano was a close friend of Benito Mussolini's son-in-law Galeazzo Ciano, who was the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Giuseppe Castellano ordered Castellano to insist that any surrender of Italy was subject to a landing of Allied troops on the Italian mainland.

Giuseppe Castellano had been given powers to hold talks to resolve the separatist threat to Italian unity.

Giuseppe Castellano became convinced that the Sicilian Mafia was the strongest political and social force on Sicily to be reckoned with.

Giuseppe Castellano started to establish cordial relations with Mafia leaders.

Giuseppe Castellano made contacts with Mafia leaders and met with them several times.

Giuseppe Castellano gained the co-operation of the Mafia boss Calogero Vizzini, who had supported separatism but was now prepared for a change in the island's political situation.

Giuseppe Castellano wrote a number of books about his experiences during the War: Come firmai l'armistizio di Cassibile, published by Mondadori in 1945; La guerra continua ; and Roma Kaputt.

Giuseppe Castellano died in Porretta Terme on July 31,1977.