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251. Unveiling Gladio: Cold War Secrets and Italian Intelligence with Niccolò Petrelli

June 8, 2026 · 1 h 11 min

Show notes

Today Justin sits down with Dr. Niccolò Petrelli. Niccolò is a research scholar at the Center for International and Strategic Studies at LUISS in Rome, Italy. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Political Science, his Master's degree in International Relations, and his PhD in Political Science, all from Roma Tre University. He has also published many papers and journal articles on counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, and intelligence matters. He's here to discuss the relationship between US and Italian intelligence during the Cold War, and in particular, the Gladio operation, which armed, trained, and funded personnel intended to operate behind enemy lines in the event that World War III broke out in Europe. The Gladio teams were also suspected of being employed to suppress communism in Italy.

Connect with Niccolò:
LinkedIn: Niccolò Petrelli

Connect with Spycraft 101:
Get Justin’s latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: shop.spycraft101.com
Substack: spycraft101.substack.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin’s first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Check out Justin’s second book, Covert Arms, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative’s Sidearm of Choice, here.

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