The Death of God's Banker

With his connections to the Vatican, Mafia, and illicit financial exchanges, Roberto Calvi gained notoriety as the infamous "God's Banker."

Roberto Calvi, the personal assistant of a bank executive who went on to become the bank's president, was sentenced to four years of suspended jail after Banco Ambrosiano, the second-largest bank in Italy, was accused of exporting billions of lire out of the nation in 1978. He made an attempt at suicide while serving his term but was freed on bail pending appeal and resumed his job.

Two weeks before Banco Ambrosiano's demise, Calvi revealed to Pope John Paul II his knowledge of the illicit dealings between the Vatican and the bank's leading affiliates, warning that the bank's failure would set off a series of events that would have dire ramifications for the Church. Subsequently, the collapse revealed that the Vatican, having ownership stakes in Banco Ambrosiano, had received between US$700 million and US$1.5 billion, which amounted to the bank's total debt.

Less than a week later, Calvi fled to Venice, employing a forged passport bearing the alias Gian Roberto Calvini, and chartered a private plane bound for London. There, a postal clerk found his lifeless body suspended from the scaffolding of the Blackfriars Bridge - his pockets laden with five bricks and carrying about US$14,000 denominated in three different currencies. Following a coroner's inquest in London, Calvi's death was ruled a suicide, and after a second coroner's inquest, the court ruled an open verdict, as the court was unable to establish the precise cause of death.

Despite the court rulings, Calvi's family insisted that his death was a homicide, hiring Kroll Associates, a New York-based investigation company, who enlisted the help of Angela Gallop, a renowned forensic scientist. The lack of paint and rust on Calvi's shoes, which suggested no touch with the structure, led the team to the conclusion that he could not have hanged himself from the scaffolding. However, authorities dismissed the forensic report in October 1992. When Calvi's body was exhumed, the report not only supported the initial findings but also highlighted inconsistencies in Calvi's injuries and uncovered that Calvi had not touched the bricks found in his pockets, challenging the hanging theory.

Furthermore, Mafia informant Francesco Marino Mannoia claimed that Calvi lost money that belonged to senior Mafia bosses after the collapse of Banco Ambrosiano, resulting in a contract killing carried out by the Sicilian Mafia. The putative killer, Francesco Di Carlo, was later implicated but denied the accusation, revealing that Sergio Vaccari, a drug dealer, and Vincenzo Casillo, a member of a Mafia-type criminal organization, were the actual killers. Nevertheless, prosecutors concluded that the Mafia acted to safeguard its agenda and dissuade Calvi from extorting them.

Licio Gelli, the head of the masonic lodge Propaganda Due (P2), was also accused of ordering Calvi's murder but denied his involvement, suggesting it was commissioned in Poland, citing Calvi's supposed role in funding the Solidarity trade union at the Vatican's request, as requested by Pope John Paul II.

As far as we know, the labyrinthine case of Roberto Calvi's death may never be uncovered. Perhaps the Mafia or individuals in power are safeguarding the actual happenings, hiding something from the public's eye to avoid a scandal or to protect their vested interests. Without a firm conclusion, the death of "God's Banker" might just be another reminder of how the world is more intricate than we realize.