Italian manager of Saman, a community for the rehab of drug addicts, which he took over with Chicca Rostagno after her husband and founder, Mauro Rostagno, was assassinated by unknown persons on 9/26/1988. After the murder, he was investigated and released, leaving the case unresolved.
Cardella was born to a well off family and had a solid education with a degree in Rome in political-science. He worked as a journalist on magazines and in Palermo, worked on the New Daily Telestar. In Milan, he collaborated with a newspaper and then became the editor. The first newspaper that he launched was a soft-porn magazine which, with the passing of the months was transformed into hard porn. He also founded a daily paper named Ora. In these years, Cardella made the acquaintances of the socialist Milanese (Palm), Croix and all of the court. He became the editor of ABC and founded OV, the first porn monthly for “the four sexes.”
Cardella was noted for being macho, surrounded by beautiful women. He had a great life, lots of money, then a marriage with an ex-model, Rafaela Savagely, daughter of an executive. The marriage did not last long as she fled to Africa, ending up in Poona, where Cardella followed her. Rafaela recovered in a Swiss clinic but Cardella remained in Poona to scout out financial opportunities. He became acquainted with Rostagno and his companion Rover and the guru Bagman. He began to imitate the guru and called himself Perm Francesco. When Bagman moved to Oregon, Cardella went back to Italy. He spent lots of time on his boat sailing around the Mediterranean and was suspected of drug trafficking.
In 1981, Cardella convinced Rostagno and his wife to found Saman.
After the murder of Rostagno, the Saman was administered by Francesco Cardella (nicknamed Cicci), and by Rostagno’s widow, Chicca. They added other centers around Italy and obtained millions of lira in donations. With the founding of 23 Saman houses, Cardella acquired boats, planes, stock and houses. In 1995, he and Chicca were arrested for fraud. She was extradited and returned to Italy where she was jailed in August 1996. and Cardella fled.
He took refuse in Nicaragua where he landed on his feet with his usual ability to use people to advantage. He became the friend of local powerful men, the owner of a casino, a fleet of hydrofoils and two islands in the Caribbean. He left behind the accusation that he had hired the hit-man to kill his former friend and partner because Rostagno had objected to his skimming funds from Saman.
Cardella died of a heart attack in Nicaragua on the night of 6-7 August 2011.