Guido De Martino

Guido De Martino (born Somma Vesuviana, 22 August 1943) is a former Italian politician of the Italian Socialist Party. He is also the son of the late socialist politician Francesco De Martino and was kidnapped for 40 days in 1977 by the Camorra.

Biography De Martino was born in Somma Vesuviana, Naples Italy on 22 August 1943 to the family of Francesco De Martino. He would get a degree in philosophy before going on to become a professor of history and philosophy. He had been taken by the Neapolitan Mafia, the Camorra, who held him for six weeks. He was only freed after a one billion lire ransom, that was raised by the party, was paid to the perpetrators. It would later be revealed that some of the funds the party had provided were attained through kidnappings done by the Red Brigades. This scandal has been compared to the Moro kidnapping, by those who suspected similar political beliefs between the victims to have been the cause.

De Martino would go on to achieve electoral victory in Naples as a member of the PSI, securing a seat in the Italian Chamber of Deputies during the IX legislature and again in XI legislature. He continued to work with the PSI, getting elected to the Italian Senate during the XII and XIII legislatures.