Mafia boss known as "the Pope" dies in jail at 83

ROME (Reuters) - A former Mafia godfather, known by the nickname "the Pope", died in prison on Wednesday where he was serving multiple life sentences.

Michele Greco, 83, who had been ill for several weeks, was a contemporary of top gangsters Toto "The Beast" Riina and his successor as 'boss of bosses', Bernardo Provenzano.

Arrested in 1986 after several years on the run, Greco had been a member of the 'cupola', the Mafia's board of directors. He earned his nickname by being a conciliatory voice between rival Mafia factions.

The Italian state claims to have made great steps in recent years in cleaning up the Mafia, the crime organisation based in the island of Sicily.

Italian and U.S. police arrested 77 suspected members last week after a three-year probe into drug trafficking and money laundering. The latest boss of bosses, Salvatore Lo Piccolo, was arrested in November after nearly a quarter century on the run.

On Wednesday Italian police arrested 60 people suspected of involvement with the 'Ndrangheta and Camorra crime gangs -- the equivalent of the Mafia based on the southern Italian mainland.

The police said they were breaking up a drugs and money laundering "joint venture" between the two gangs.