Niccolo Mainoni

Are you prepared to fight and face death so that we may destroy this government? The initiate would say, I do. And then the blindfold would be removed. So these colorful details of the ceremony come from the firsthand account of a P2 member. It's a theatrical induction that Shelley likely reserved for his fanciest recruits.

Are you prepared to fight and face death so that we may destroy this government? The initiate would say, I do. And then the blindfold would be removed. So these colorful details of the ceremony come from the firsthand account of a P2 member. It's a theatrical induction that Shelley likely reserved for his fanciest recruits.

And I want to zoom in on Gelli for a moment, the man who recruited Calvi and made P2 what it was. I learned that in the 60s, when Gelli joined the Italian Freemasons, these guys were largely democratic and apolitical. But as Gelli rose to power, he remade his local group, P2, in his image. Anti-communist and pro-fascist. Very pro-fascist. Gelli said, quote, I studied with fascism.

And I want to zoom in on Gelli for a moment, the man who recruited Calvi and made P2 what it was. I learned that in the 60s, when Gelli joined the Italian Freemasons, these guys were largely democratic and apolitical. But as Gelli rose to power, he remade his local group, P2, in his image. Anti-communist and pro-fascist. Very pro-fascist. Gelli said, quote, I studied with fascism.

I fought for fascism. I am a fascist, and I will die a fascist. I realized, after listening to hours of tapes of this guy, that for Gelli, World War II had never really ended. He came of age under Mussolini, when Italy was unified by a strong right identity and a single leader. To him, the Italy of the 1970s, around the time that Calvi was ascending, wasn't social freefall.

I fought for fascism. I am a fascist, and I will die a fascist. I realized, after listening to hours of tapes of this guy, that for Gelli, World War II had never really ended. He came of age under Mussolini, when Italy was unified by a strong right identity and a single leader. To him, the Italy of the 1970s, around the time that Calvi was ascending, wasn't social freefall.

Divorce and abortion were legal. The streets were filled with hippies, liberals, and communists.

Divorce and abortion were legal. The streets were filled with hippies, liberals, and communists.

The P2 leader was obsessed with restoring order to Italy. He wanted to demolish democracy and bring back a dictatorship. On a certain level, Calvi's connection to Jelly and P2 made sense. Calvi did volunteer to fight for the Axis powers. He was a rich banker, certainly anti-communist, but this was much more radical than anything I'd previously heard about Calvi.

The P2 leader was obsessed with restoring order to Italy. He wanted to demolish democracy and bring back a dictatorship. On a certain level, Calvi's connection to Jelly and P2 made sense. Calvi did volunteer to fight for the Axis powers. He was a rich banker, certainly anti-communist, but this was much more radical than anything I'd previously heard about Calvi.

I knew Calvi wanted to be rich and powerful, sure, but I didn't get the impression that he wanted a far-right takeover of the state. At this point in my research, in my quest to figure out who killed Calvi, I felt like I was, yet again, tripping face-first into a wall of absurd conspiracies. I mean, a secret society plotting a national coup? Come on.

I knew Calvi wanted to be rich and powerful, sure, but I didn't get the impression that he wanted a far-right takeover of the state. At this point in my research, in my quest to figure out who killed Calvi, I felt like I was, yet again, tripping face-first into a wall of absurd conspiracies. I mean, a secret society plotting a national coup? Come on.

I needed to find an anchor, someone to comfort the English side of my brain. Someone that could say, there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this. That's when I found an American in Europe who could relate to exactly what I was going through. I called him up when I was in Italy.

I needed to find an anchor, someone to comfort the English side of my brain. Someone that could say, there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this. That's when I found an American in Europe who could relate to exactly what I was going through. I called him up when I was in Italy.

Larry Gerwin wrote one of the first books on Calvi after he died, and he interviewed scores of Calvi's friends and family. He also felt this overwhelming sense of paranoia from Italians.

Larry Gerwin wrote one of the first books on Calvi after he died, and he interviewed scores of Calvi's friends and family. He also felt this overwhelming sense of paranoia from Italians.

Through his research, Gruen was able to sketch the details of an early meeting between Calvi and Gelli. It was around 1970, a decade before the raid on P2, and Calvi was still a mid-level executive looking for a leg up. His then-mentor, Michele Sindona, recommended Calvi to Gelli.

Through his research, Gruen was able to sketch the details of an early meeting between Calvi and Gelli. It was around 1970, a decade before the raid on P2, and Calvi was still a mid-level executive looking for a leg up. His then-mentor, Michele Sindona, recommended Calvi to Gelli.

When Calvi entered Gelli's office, he saw a wide desk with letters from senators, CEOs, celebrities, exactly the type of people Calvi had always wanted to hang out with, always wanted to be. So I can imagine how flattered and how charmed Calvi must have been when Jelly told him, we want you, Calvi. I want you.

When Calvi entered Gelli's office, he saw a wide desk with letters from senators, CEOs, celebrities, exactly the type of people Calvi had always wanted to hang out with, always wanted to be. So I can imagine how flattered and how charmed Calvi must have been when Jelly told him, we want you, Calvi. I want you.