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The 641-page court ruling was published in full by the ANSA news agency.
"The court concludes as proven the 'mediation' activity carried out by Dell'Utri... who acted as a channel of liaison between Cosa Nostra... and the Milanese businessman Silvio Berlusconi," the ruling said.
Mafia bosses in turn offered "protection" for Berlusconi, it added.
The ruling also quoted mafia bosses saying that "protection money" was paid from Berlusconi's Fininvest company to the Cosa Nostra for installing television antennas in Sicily following a request made by Dell'Utri.
Dell'Utri "consciously chose to mediate between the interests of the mafia and the business interests of Berlusconi, allowing the criminal group to profit, promoting the consolidation and strengthening of Cosa Nostra."
The senator allowed the Cosa Nostra to "hook on to one of the biggest Italian businesses of the time, gaining illicit profit from the extortion," the ruling said, referring to Berlusconi's expanding business empire.
The time in the 1970s and 1980s when Berlusconi was building up his construction and media holdings in Milan before entering politics in the 1990s has been a source of many conspiracy theories over the years.
The ruling also outlined strong support from mafia bosses for Berlusconi's Forza Italia political party set up in 1994 but rejected an accusation by prosecutors that the party had been established to represent mafia interests.
Dell'Utri, who was first sentenced in 2004 and is now awaiting a final ruling from Italy's highest appeal court, responded to the publication, saying: "There's nothing new. It's a subject that has been gone over many times."
Antonio Di Pietro, a former anti-corruption magistrate who is now one of Berlusconi's fiercest critics, said the ruling meant lawmakers should vote against the government in a no-confidence vote next month.
"We hope this happens before Berlusconi does any more damage to the country and completely destroys our credibility abroad," Di Pietro said, adding that the sentence showed "close relations between the mafia and the prime minister."
Donatella Ferranti, a lawmaker from the centre-left opposition Democratic Party, said the report on Dell'Utri's "role of mediation and liaison between the mafia and then-businessman Silvio Berlusconi" was "disturbing."
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"The court concludes as proven the 'mediation' activity carried out by Dell'Utri... who acted as a channel of liaison between Cosa Nostra... and the Milanese businessman Silvio Berlusconi," the ruling said.
Mafia bosses in turn offered "protection" for Berlusconi, it added.
The ruling also quoted mafia bosses saying that "protection money" was paid from Berlusconi's Fininvest company to the Cosa Nostra for installing television antennas in Sicily following a request made by Dell'Utri.
Dell'Utri "consciously chose to mediate between the interests of the mafia and the business interests of Berlusconi, allowing the criminal group to profit, promoting the consolidation and strengthening of Cosa Nostra."
The senator allowed the Cosa Nostra to "hook on to one of the biggest Italian businesses of the time, gaining illicit profit from the extortion," the ruling said, referring to Berlusconi's expanding business empire.
The time in the 1970s and 1980s when Berlusconi was building up his construction and media holdings in Milan before entering politics in the 1990s has been a source of many conspiracy theories over the years.
The ruling also outlined strong support from mafia bosses for Berlusconi's Forza Italia political party set up in 1994 but rejected an accusation by prosecutors that the party had been established to represent mafia interests.
Dell'Utri, who was first sentenced in 2004 and is now awaiting a final ruling from Italy's highest appeal court, responded to the publication, saying: "There's nothing new. It's a subject that has been gone over many times."
Antonio Di Pietro, a former anti-corruption magistrate who is now one of Berlusconi's fiercest critics, said the ruling meant lawmakers should vote against the government in a no-confidence vote next month.
"We hope this happens before Berlusconi does any more damage to the country and completely destroys our credibility abroad," Di Pietro said, adding that the sentence showed "close relations between the mafia and the prime minister."
Donatella Ferranti, a lawmaker from the centre-left opposition Democratic Party, said the report on Dell'Utri's "role of mediation and liaison between the mafia and then-businessman Silvio Berlusconi" was "disturbing."
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