**Fernando Di Leo (1932-2003)** was an Italian director and screenwriter, a key figure in the poliziottesco genre and Italian film noir.

His career began as a prolific screenwriter for Westerns and crime films, also collaborating with Sergio Leone. As a director, he established himself with a raw and realistic filmmaking style, steeped in cynicism. He is particularly renowned for the so-called "milieu trilogy," a series of crime films set in the world of Milanese organized crime: *Milano Calibro 9* (1972), *La mala ordina* (1972), and *Il boss* (1973).

His films are characterized by taut storytelling, explicit use of violence as a dramatic element, and disenchanted portrayals of anti-heroes and professional criminals, often destined for a tragic fate. Di Leo explored themes such as underworld honor, betrayal, and social corruption, becoming a cult auteur and a precursor of modern crime cinema.