Career
His nickname is Faccia d"Angelo ("Angel Face"), which he shares with the Milanese mobster Francis Turatello and Camorra boss Edoardo Contini. He was born at Campolongo Maggiore, in the province of Venice. Originally the leader of a small band of thieves, through connections with Sicilian mafiosi on exile in Veneto he was able to expand and enlarge his organization and modeled it after the mafia.
He was a prolific drug trafficker and was particularly notorious for taking part in many armed robberies, some with extremely high loots.
In February, 1995, Maniero became a pentito (collaborator with Italian Justice), and subsequently helped in dismantling his organization. However, Maniero allegedly continued a number of criminal activities while many of his former henchmen re-organised the Mala del Brenta in order to ensure its survival.
On 23 August 2010, Maniero was set free.
