By 1970, Sindona was the most successful tax lawyer and the most powerful banker in Italy. Years later, as one of the wealthiest men in the world, Sindona was identified by the Italian and U.S. governments as the Mafia’s banker. He was accused of washing heroin profits through his banks and of smuggling currency out of Italy through the Vatican Bank.
In 1972, Sindona purchased controlling interest of FRANKLIN NATIONAL BANK. Two years later FRANKLIN NATIONAL BANK collapsed—the 2nd largest bank failure in U.S. history to that date.
On August 2, 1979, while under indictment, Michele Sindona disappeared and was believed to have been kidnapped by left-wing terrorists. He reappeared on October 16, 1979, was later convicted of bank fraud, and sentenced to 25 years in prison by a U.S. court.
Sindona was extradited back to Italy in 1984 and sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of investigative lawyer Giorgio Ambrosoli.
Sindona had an encyclopedic knowledge of his fellow conspirators, and even in prison, he could still “sing” to reduce his sentence.
“Dead men tell no tales” so Sindona was “suicided” by a cyanide capsule in 1986.
Arthur T. Roth ruined Rockefeller’s Presidential attempt!!
Nelson Rockefeller was “elected” Governor of New York State in 1958. In 1960, he decided to run for President as the Republican candidate against John F. Kennedy. Rockefeller already “owned” the New York vote but he needed the key state of California in order to be a viable candidate.
As governor, Nelson passed an omnibus banking bill which favored his giant banks against the small independent banks. One of those banks was owned by Arthur T. Roth.
Arthur T. Roth was a banker with a human face. He was responsible for the growth of a small country bank into the 18th largest bank in the country.
He did this by sheer hard work and determination. As he sought to expand his bank, he ran into opposition from Governor Nelson Rockefeller.
Here is a quote from Mr. Roth:
I’d had several clashes with David Rockefeller over branch banking. Starting in 1958, I came into direct personal conflict not only with David but with his brother Nelson; and this went on over several years.
It first came into the open during hearings on the new omnibus banking bill in Albany in February 1958. A good part of the legislature was present, because we’d sent telegrams to each assemblyman and senator the night before, saying that if he wanted to learn the answer to the bank controversy, to come to the legislative chamber the following day. (Ross, The People’s Banker: The Story of Arthur T. Roth and the Franklin National Bank, p.163).
Arthur T. Roth compiled a huge dossier of the shady dealings of Rockefeller and presented it to reporters when Rockefeller arrived in California to campaign for the Presidency.
Rockefeller’s wrath knew no bounds….His revenge came later when he used mafioso Michele Sindona to destroy Franklin National Bank.
