Marcello Petacci

Accused by many of enriching himself illegally through his closeness to Mussolini, Petacci managed in the last days of the Second World War to escape to Switzerland with his family, but chose to go back to Italy.

[6] In his autobiography, Senise recounted the episodes that led him to clash with Petacci: the expulsion from Italy of a Romanian "adventurer" with whom the latter was in business; the liberation of an ex-convict, who had promised a bribe of 400,000 Lire to the doctor if the latter "saved" him; the failure to hand over a box full of gold coins smuggled into Spain.

He was criticised by the Gerarchi for his profiteur-like behaviour: both Galeazzo Ciano and Francesco Maria Barracu sent many confidential letters to Mussolini on the subject.

Moreover, according to the head of the Fascist political police Guido Leto, "Dr. Petacci does more harm to the Duce than fifteen battles lost".

[11] In June 1942 Petacci tried, with the involvement of Guido Buffarini Guidi, to illegally transport 18 kg (40 lb) of gold from Spain by diplomatic courier.

[13] Other business deals that Petacci was involved in during the war included the purchase of tin from Portugal and rubber from France, raw materials that Italy was in dire need of at the time.

[3] On the night of 19 April 1945, accompanied by his wife Zita Ritossa and their two children, Petacci paid the sum of one million lire to smugglers (using false passports issued by the Spanish Consulate in Milan in the name of the Molanos) to try to enter Canton Ticino in Switzerland from Agra in the Luino area[14] or from Lanzo d'Intelvi.

[16] On 25 April he went to the Spanish consul in Milan, Don Fernando Canthal, to get his permission for an important mission on behalf of Mussolini.

[17] On 27 April 1945, after unsuccessful negotiations with Cardinal Ildefonso Schuster and members of the CLNAI,[17] Mussolini and several gerarchi decided to flee northwards.

[1] In March 1957 his body and that of Clara were buried in the family tomb at the Verano Cemetery in Rome thanks to the permission given by Interior Minister Fernando Tambroni.