Chico Forti: “Welcome like a king in Rebibbia. In prison the first meeting and support from Commander Schettino”

Chico Forti returns to speak on TV, again on Rai 1, this time interviewed exclusively by Bruno Vespa on 'Cinque Minuti'

ROME – Chico Forti returns to speak on TV, again on Rai 1, this time interviewed exclusively by Bruno Vespa on ‘Cinque Minuti’. “In Rebibbia they welcomed me like a king. When I arrived they told me: ‘The commander is here who wants to talk to you’ – says Forti – I thought he was a penitentiary officer, but instead the first person who introduced himself to me was Francesco Schettino (the former commander of the Costa Concordia condemned for the shipwreck, ed.) who told me: ‘Chico, you are my hero'”.

Forti has arrived in Italy, today he is in Verona prison, where he will continue to serve his sentence after 24 years of detention in the USA where he was sentenced to life imprisonment. There are many doubts about the murder trial that convicted him for the death of Dale Pike. “On March 1st – says the Trentino entrepreneur – I received a call that shook my penitentiary. They said: ‘Forti, you have a call from the White House’. The first person who spoke to me was the Italian ambassador in Washington She said she was with President Biden and the Prime Minister, who wanted to talk to me, Giorgia Meloni. I thanked her regardless of the result and she gave me the news: go home again strong>is a person who has done a lot for me“.

How do you move forward if you are convinced you are innocent? “If you are convinced of your innocence you have the strength to move forward, day by day, you don’t think about 24 years, I never thought about it, I always thought about the next day. If you believe in yourself and you have principles, you find the strength to carry on, if you don’t believe in yourself you either commit suicide or change your life”. Forti also talks about the mother he managed to see again after many years: “My mother is my rock. She was my strength, my energy. The look in her eyes, normally a 96-year-old person, her eyes fade instead his remain, you can see the fireworks in his eyes, the joy in his gaze, more than any hug or any kiss it was a wonderful moment. And then he always told me that ‘I will do everything I can to wait for you ‘”.

The former sailor also recalls how the brother of Dale Pike, the victim of the murder for which Chico Forti was convicted, “took great steps to help me talk about my innocence. I believe there is a moment in each of us where conscience prevails. He never attacked me at the beginning, but neither defended me. I believe he has reached a moment, perhaps also due to my mother’s speech, both families have suffered so much, in which he decided to do something concrete, writing to the president of the United States, writing to the governor of Florida is an important step for the victim’s family.”

Then the final question from Bruno Vespa: “Sooner or later will he come out of here too, will he go back to surfing and working?” Forti responds with a wink: “My will to live hasn’t changed, I’m ready.”.