Rotolo was under house arrest, obtained thanks to pills his doctors had given him to raise his blood pressure and enable him to feign illness. In this way, Rotolo was free to run his business, extracting protection money from Chinese shopkeepers in Palermo and persuading the owner of the Migliore chain to pay up and even joining an anti-racket association. He used to meet with his fellow mafiosi in a cabin close to his luxurious suburban villa, along Viale Michelangelo. A football was placed at the door as a sign to the sentries when conferences began. Inside, there was a table, eight plastic chairs and anti-bugging devices which, the eavesdropped conversations revealed, Rotolo thought would make it impossible for police to listen in. However, the police had been able to install bugging devices and a video camera that revealed the Mafia dealings.