Some of the country's most notorious mafiosi, jailed for crimes ranging from extortion to brutal murders, have become online idols with thousands of fans posting messages of support and lauding them for their gruesome past.
One of them, Salvatore 'the Beast' Riina, has more than 2,000 subscribers to his Facebook profile, with supporters praising him as a "great" man and wishing him a Merry Christmas.
Riina, 78, who has been behind bars since 1993, was renowned for his cruelty as the 'boss of bosses' of the Sicilian mafia, Cosa Nostra. He is currently serving twelve life sentences for murder but is believed to still direct mafia activities from inside prison.
His successor as the head of the Sicilian mafia, Bernardo Provenzano, also has a Facebook profile, with fans honouring "someone who tricked the state for 40 years" and others calling for him to be made a saint.
He evaded police for more than 40 years before being found living in a dingy goat herder's hut near the town of Corleone in 2006.
Relatives of the mobsters' victims are outraged, and the row intensified yesterday when one of Italy's most senior anti-mafia investigators said anyone who signed up to the Facebook sites should be investigated.
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