Giuseppe Tatarella

Giuseppe Tatarella (17 September 1935 – 8 February 1999), also known as Pinuccio Tatarella, was an Italian politician who served as deputy prime minister in the first cabinet of Silvio Berlusconi from 1994 to 1995.

Early life and education Tatarella was born in Cerignola, Apulia, in 1935. In the 1960s, he launched the weekly Puglia d'Oggi (Puglia Today). He became one of its senior member. In 1996, he took over the Il Roma, a Naples-based daily, and served as its editor until 1999. He also served as Minister of Post and Telecommunications. Although he was one of four AN members in the same cabinet, only Tatarella's appointment was regarded as significant, and he was surnamed the minister of harmony. Tatarella was in office until 1995. He also won his seat from Bari in the 1996 Italian general election. In January 1997, he was named as the head of a parliamentary subcommittee. It was one of four subcommittees that constituted a bicameral committee of Parliament set up to discuss the institutional reorganization of Italy. He defined himself thusly: "I am a nationalist, a Catholic and a democrat." Belgian minister Elio Di Rupo refused to shake Tatarella's hand during a meeting in Brussels when Tatarella was serving as deputy prime minister and minister of posts and telecommunications.

Death Tatarella died of a heart attack at a hospital in Turin at age 63 on 8 February 1999. A funeral service was performed for him in Bari.