Increasingly disappointed by the FDP, in 1991 Bignasca and Maspoli founded the protest party Ticino League (Lega dei Ticinesi).

He was called Il nano ("the dwarf"), because of his size, which many Ticinese alleged was the result of cocaine abuse and the public attention his reputed dubious business dealings got.

[3] Bignasca had several defamation lawsuits that were filed against him, because he criticized unpopular politicians and officials in the party newspaper.

Bignasca was regarded as unique in the political landscape, because he spoke to all using informal pronouns, and wore suits, but almost never a tie.

On 26 July 1991, Bignasca made a "freedom caravan", by strolling along the A2 motorway with his followers, as a protest against speed limits on highways.

In June 2003 he was referred to the bureau of the National Council, after he had said in an election broadcast: "They should lock all environmentalists into a phone booth and then extinguish them, as the Serbian premier Zoran Djindjic".