Italian Inquiry Suggests 2013 Death of Banker David Rossi Was Accidental
A parliamentary inquiry in Italy suggests David Rossi, a bank executive who died in 2013, was accidentally dropped during a mafia-linked intimidation attempt, prompting calls to reopen the cold case.
A parliamentary inquiry in Italy has uncovered new testimony suggesting that the 2013 death of David Rossi, former communications manager at Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS), may have been an accidental killing rather than suicide. Rossi fell to his death from a third-story window of the bank's headquarters in Siena on March 6, 2013, amid a severe financial crisis. While two previous investigations ruled the death a suicide, two independent prison inmates have now testified that Rossi was pushed accidentally during a botched intimidation attempt.
According to the testimonies presented to the parliamentary committee, former MPS CEO Giuseppe Mussari allegedly hired thugs to frighten Rossi and prevent him from disclosing the bank's ties to organized crime. The witnesses claim that two men confronted Rossi in his office, pushed him against the window, and held him outside as a threat before losing their grip. Rossi plunged approximately 18 meters into a back alley, dying about 20 minutes later. Gianluca Vinci, the lawmaker who led the inquiry, stated that the committee hopes prosecutors will now reopen the investigation based on the new evidence.
Mafia Ties and Forensic Reconstructions
Investigators examined past security footage showing Rossi falling vertically onto his legs and a bystander approaching him as he lay dying. Doubts regarding suicide were further fueled by a suspicious email found on his wife's computer, sent after his death using an unfamiliar affectionate term. Recently, the committee reconstructed the fall using a life-sized dummy and a replica window, concluding that bruises on Rossi's face and body align with a struggle prior to the fall.
Key witnesses claimed Rossi had managed millions of euros for the 'Ndrangheta mafia and intended to cooperate with authorities amid the bank's financial turmoil. Mussari, who previously faced financial convictions that were later overturned, has strongly denied any involvement, as has Gabriele Ceccarelli, whom witnesses accused of orchestrating the intimidation team. Italian prosecutors will now evaluate whether to officially reopen the high-profile case.
