Headed by Arturo Bocchini and reporting directly to Mussolini, it monitored and suppressed all political opponents of the regime, both at home and abroad. It was responsible for mass arrests, torture and other human rights abuses of dissidents. OVRA agents wore black shirts (camicie nere), the uniform of the pro-Fascist squadristi.
OVRA was also responsible for the murder and/or imprisonment of over 300,000 Italians, and was widely feared by citizens. OVRA was disbanded after the fall of Benito Mussolini in 1943 and Italy's surrender to the Allies.
Some additional details about the OVRA during its rule include:
* It was established in 1927 as a successor to the Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale (MVSN), the paramilitary arm of the Fascist Party.
* OVRA was directly subordinate to Mussolini and was not accountable to any other government agency.
* The OVRA had a vast network of informants and agents throughout Italy and abroad, and used these to gather intelligence and suppress dissent.
* The OVRA was responsible for the arrest, imprisonment, and torture of thousands of political opponents of the Fascist regime, including communists, socialists, liberals, and even some Fascists who were considered to be disloyal.
* OVRA agents also carried out assassinations and other acts of violence against political opponents, both in Italy and abroad.
* The OVRA was finally disbanded after the fall of the Mussolini regime in 1943.