Paolo Borsellino

Paolo Borsellino (19 January 1940 – 19 July 1992) was an Italian judge from Sicily, who became known as a Mafia hunter. Together wirth Emanuele Basile, he was able to get convictions for Mafiosi, starting about 1980. Basile was assassinated in 1980, because of his work. On 19 July 1992, a car bomb killed Borsellino, and 5 other people. Palermo airport was renamed to carry his name, in his honor.
Borsellino's life parallels that of his close friend Giovanni Falcone. They both spent their early years in the same neighbourhood in Palermo. Though many of their childhood friends grew up in the Mafia background, both men fought on the other side of the war against crime in Sicily as prosecuting magistrates. They were both killed in 1992, a few months apart. In recognition of their tireless effort and sacrifice during the anti-mafia trials, they were both awarded the Italian "Medaglia d'oro al valore civile" (Gold medal for civil valour). They were also named as heroes of the last 60 years in the 13 November 2006 issue of "Time Magazine".