The emblematic scene from ‘The Godfather’ from 1972, when a character wakes up with a horse’s head in his bed is not just a matter of fiction, Mario Puzo, author of the novel, knew it very well. And Sicily has woken up shocked with the news that on the property of a construction contractor in AltofonteSicily, authorities have found a horse’s head and a chopped up cow next to its dead calf. Prior to this event, the businessman had not received any type of threat, according to what the authorities have communicated to the media. But they believe that the event may be related to the victim having declined offers of protection from organized crime.
A police spokesperson told Rai News that they are investigating the case as a mafia intimidation tactic. In fact, it is a modus operandi that the Sicilian Cosa Nostra has already used on other occasions.
The local municipality for which the contractor has worked on more than one occasion had categorically rejected numerous offers to link any public work with companies related to the mafia. The mayor of Altofonte, Angela De Lucia, told local media that she had been “petrified” by the news. «I cannot understand such barbarity. This act seems to take us back to the Middle Ages. said.
For his part, Edy Tamajo, a regional politician, condemned the act in ‘Palermo Today’ as “vile” and stated that it reflects “a mafia mentality that must be eradicated.” He also said that “violence must be addressed not only with police action, but also with a strong commitment to spread the culture of legality.” so that future generations can grow up free of this mentality.
Culture of impunity
This is a region in which the crimes of three mafia groups stand out. And where garbage and construction are two of the main businesses that attract the most lucrative profits. The head of the Anti-Mafia Directorate of the Palermo district, prosecutor Maurizio de Lucia has taken charge of the investigation. He had already warned in September that after the release of 20 members of the mafiathese they would seek revenge.
In 2023, another local contractor found the decapitated head of one of his goats at his garden gate. However, many of the mafia dynamics have increased mainly in white collar crimes, as is the case of Calabrian union ‘Ndrangheta. Basically, it consists of having a relevant presence in local government politics and infiltrating industries such as healthcare to tighten the threads of their influence.
In another case, a decapitated pig’s head was found at the local police station. For some, these examples demonstrate the complicity and impunity of these criminal companies that continue to proliferate.
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