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Exposing Italy's Puppet Masters

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Manage episode 484846155 series 2921094
Content provided by The Retrospectors. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by The Retrospectors or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

The major political upheaval that befell Italy happened on 26th May, 1981, when Prime Minister Arnaldo Forlani and his entire cabinet resigned.

This followed the exposure of a secretive Masonic lodge, known as P2 or Propaganda Due, intent on creating a shadowy state-within-a-state. Its 962 elite members included high-ranking military officers, civil servants, bankers, and a certain Silvio Berlusconi.

The mastermind behind the sect, Licio Gelli, was a former fascist functionary who had reinvented himself as a powerful and well-connected businessman. Gelli fled to Switzerland, but despite being eventually arrested and later extradited to Italy, spent no time behind bars.

In this episode, The Retrospectors unpick the involvement of ‘God’s Banker’, Roberto Calvi; consider Gelli’s lengthy involvement with fascism; and discover a surprising use for old flowerpots…

Further Reading:

• ‘Licio Gelli, fascist and masonic chief’ (FT, 2015): https://www.ft.com/content/7d3fdd08-a418-11e5-8218-6b8ff73aae15

• ‘Licio Gelli: Businessman who became the 'puppet master' of the sinister right-wing organisation, P2 (The Independent, 2015):

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/licio-gelli-businessman-who-became-the-puppet-master-of-the-sinister-rightwing-organisation-p2-a6783576.html

• ‘PBS Newshour’ (PBS, 1981): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3yV8L3s7QQ

Love the show? Support us!

Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…

… Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.

Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️

The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  continue reading

1088 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 484846155 series 2921094
Content provided by The Retrospectors. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by The Retrospectors or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

The major political upheaval that befell Italy happened on 26th May, 1981, when Prime Minister Arnaldo Forlani and his entire cabinet resigned.

This followed the exposure of a secretive Masonic lodge, known as P2 or Propaganda Due, intent on creating a shadowy state-within-a-state. Its 962 elite members included high-ranking military officers, civil servants, bankers, and a certain Silvio Berlusconi.

The mastermind behind the sect, Licio Gelli, was a former fascist functionary who had reinvented himself as a powerful and well-connected businessman. Gelli fled to Switzerland, but despite being eventually arrested and later extradited to Italy, spent no time behind bars.

In this episode, The Retrospectors unpick the involvement of ‘God’s Banker’, Roberto Calvi; consider Gelli’s lengthy involvement with fascism; and discover a surprising use for old flowerpots…

Further Reading:

• ‘Licio Gelli, fascist and masonic chief’ (FT, 2015): https://www.ft.com/content/7d3fdd08-a418-11e5-8218-6b8ff73aae15

• ‘Licio Gelli: Businessman who became the 'puppet master' of the sinister right-wing organisation, P2 (The Independent, 2015):

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/licio-gelli-businessman-who-became-the-puppet-master-of-the-sinister-rightwing-organisation-p2-a6783576.html

• ‘PBS Newshour’ (PBS, 1981): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3yV8L3s7QQ

Love the show? Support us!

Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…

… Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.

Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️

The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  continue reading

1088 episodes

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