Mani pulite

Hi there! So, "mani pulite" is an Italian phrase that means "clean hands."

In the 1990s, it referred to a period of time in Italy when there was a lot of corruption happening in the government and in businesses. People were taking bribes and doing illegal things to get ahead.

But then, a group of prosecutors started investigating and trying to bring those corrupt people to justice. They were called the "mani pulite" prosecutors, because they wanted to "clean" Italy's government and businesses of all the bad people and corrupt practices.

These prosecutors did a lot of work to uncover all the illegal things that were happening. They interviewed people, listened to wiretaps, and collected evidence. They wanted to make sure that all the bad guys were punished for what they had done.

In the end, lots of people were arrested and put on trial. This was a big deal, because it showed that even powerful people could be held accountable for their actions.

So, "mani pulite" is a really important phrase in Italy because it reminds us that we should always try to be honest and do the right thing. And if people try to cheat or break the law, there will be consequences.