It appears that he was a cop until placed on sick leave due to going crazy. Not long after that he attempted to hijack a train from Rome to Milan, sticking up the driver with a toy gun and demanding he go to Paris. (Surely shome mistake!) In March, 1999, he hijacked an AF Airbus from Marseille to Paris (Orly), to Paris (CDG). He declared that he wanted to promote a new religion called "Vitalunism" which required the unification of Europe. He was arrested, pronounced unfit to stand trial, and released into "the community" i.e. let go.
"Oh God, he's gone and done it again" said his mother, Orella, when contacted by reporters from news agency Ansa.
This from the Guardian.