Abstract

Federico Umberto D’Amato was the best-known officier of the information services of the Ministry of the Interior during the forty years of his career (1944-1984) and even afterwards, until his death in 1996. The article strives to contribute to the knowledge of this multifaceted character, of undisputed intelligence and investigative ability, but also accused of having been among the protagonists of the «strategy of tension» between 1969 and 1980: he would have used his role to mislead the investigations of the judiciary, hide evidence and manage the information system of the Ministry of the Interior with the discretionary powers of a secret service.