Giuseppe Valerio "Giusva" Fioravanti (born 28 March 1958) is an
Italian former terrorist, who, with Francesca Mambro, was a leading
figure in a far-right terrorist group Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari
("Armed Revolutionary Nuclei" or NAR). Fioravanti appeared in films
and television from a young age, and in his early teens was the most
famous child in Italy. He and Mambro were fugitives wanted for
terrorist offences by their early twenties, they spent a further
period on the run as suspects in the Bologna bombing. Both were
captured after gunfights with police. Although Fioravanti, Mambro and
a third NAR member were convicted of the bombing, there were those who
thought that a higher level of the conspiracy was never uncovered.
Fioravanti and Mambro admit involvement in terrorist murders, but have
consistently denied having any part of the Bologna station
massacre.Fioravanti was born in Rovereto to a Roman family, his father
was a television presenter. As a child actor, Fioravanti starred in a
popular series of the 1960s, "La famiglia Benvenuti", with Enrico
Maria Salerno and Valeria Valeri playing his parents. Fioravanti's
younger brother Cristiano had joined a far right youth section aged
13; he acquired a reputation for relishing violent confrontations with
leftists. According to Fioravanti, his original motivation for
associating with far right militants was not political, but a desire
to protect his brother. Fioravanti's parents tried get him away from
the escalating violence by sending him to study in the US for a year,
he returned to make his last film, which was released in 1975. In
early 1977 he was charged with assault, and given 40 days in jail for
possession of a pistol. Fioravanti abandoned university studies to
join a paratroop unit of the Italian army; he was repeatedly punished
for disciplinary infractions. After a crate of hand grenades was
stolen while he was on guard duty, Fioravanti was court martialed for
leaving his post and sentenced to several months in a military
prison.Francesca Mambro was the daughter of a policeman (who died in
1979), and from a relatively modest background. She met Fioravanti at
a far right university club. As activists for the Italian Social
Movement they were targeted by political opponents as fascists
(Fioravanti himself rejected the label). In a 1997 interview, Mambro
said she identified with far right wing youth as underdogs who tended
to be on the receiving end of violence. Some of her friends died,
including a young Social Movement protester who Mambro saw being shot
dead by a Carabinieri captain during disturbances that followed the
Acca Larentia killings. The incident alienated Fioravanti's
associates, and led to riots during which some Italian Social Movement
youths shot at police. Mambro later said the experience made her
decide to carry a gun, although her personal involvement with
Fioravanti played a major part in her taking up terrorism.It is
believed that at some point Mambro devised the name Nuclei Armati
Rivoluzionari, but the group was anti-authoritarian and was never
formally structured.
Italian former terrorist, who, with Francesca Mambro, was a leading
figure in a far-right terrorist group Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari
("Armed Revolutionary Nuclei" or NAR). Fioravanti appeared in films
and television from a young age, and in his early teens was the most
famous child in Italy. He and Mambro were fugitives wanted for
terrorist offences by their early twenties, they spent a further
period on the run as suspects in the Bologna bombing. Both were
captured after gunfights with police. Although Fioravanti, Mambro and
a third NAR member were convicted of the bombing, there were those who
thought that a higher level of the conspiracy was never uncovered.
Fioravanti and Mambro admit involvement in terrorist murders, but have
consistently denied having any part of the Bologna station
massacre.Fioravanti was born in Rovereto to a Roman family, his father
was a television presenter. As a child actor, Fioravanti starred in a
popular series of the 1960s, "La famiglia Benvenuti", with Enrico
Maria Salerno and Valeria Valeri playing his parents. Fioravanti's
younger brother Cristiano had joined a far right youth section aged
13; he acquired a reputation for relishing violent confrontations with
leftists. According to Fioravanti, his original motivation for
associating with far right militants was not political, but a desire
to protect his brother. Fioravanti's parents tried get him away from
the escalating violence by sending him to study in the US for a year,
he returned to make his last film, which was released in 1975. In
early 1977 he was charged with assault, and given 40 days in jail for
possession of a pistol. Fioravanti abandoned university studies to
join a paratroop unit of the Italian army; he was repeatedly punished
for disciplinary infractions. After a crate of hand grenades was
stolen while he was on guard duty, Fioravanti was court martialed for
leaving his post and sentenced to several months in a military
prison.Francesca Mambro was the daughter of a policeman (who died in
1979), and from a relatively modest background. She met Fioravanti at
a far right university club. As activists for the Italian Social
Movement they were targeted by political opponents as fascists
(Fioravanti himself rejected the label). In a 1997 interview, Mambro
said she identified with far right wing youth as underdogs who tended
to be on the receiving end of violence. Some of her friends died,
including a young Social Movement protester who Mambro saw being shot
dead by a Carabinieri captain during disturbances that followed the
Acca Larentia killings. The incident alienated Fioravanti's
associates, and led to riots during which some Italian Social Movement
youths shot at police. Mambro later said the experience made her
decide to carry a gun, although her personal involvement with
Fioravanti played a major part in her taking up terrorism.It is
believed that at some point Mambro devised the name Nuclei Armati
Rivoluzionari, but the group was anti-authoritarian and was never
formally structured.
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