Villarbasse massacre

Villarbasse massacre took place on November 20, 1945 in Villarbasse — about 20 km (12 miles) from Turin — where four men from Sicily (Pietro Lala, Giovanni D'Ignoti, Giovanni Puleo and Francesco La Barbera) killed ten people:^[1] the guiltiest were sentenced to death, for the last application of capital punishment in Italy.^[2]

Background[]

On November 1945, just after the end of World War II, Pietro Lala (aged 20) quit his job in a farm — known as "cascina Simonetto" —^[1] pretending an inheritance he was given by his family in Sicily.^[1] During the night between November 20 and 21, helped by his accomplices, entered into the farm to carry out a robbery:^[1] the group clubbed ten people and threw them, still alive, down a well.^[1] After committing the robbery, they also stole clothes, food and 45,000 Liras each.^[1]

The victims' bodies were found days later,^[1] leading to investigations in which D'Ignoti, Puleo and La Barbera were caught;^[1] Lala came back to Sicily where — despite the alias of Francesco Saporito —^[1] he was killed on April 11, 1946 in a local racket.^[1] On July 5, 1946 the Corte d'Assise sentenced to death the remaining guilty individuals.^[1]

Victims[]

Massimo Gianoli
Teresa Delfino
Antonio Ferrero
Anna Varetto
Renato Morra
Fiorina Maffiotto
Rosa Martinoli
Marcello Gastaldi
Gregorio Doleatto
Domenico Rosso

Execution and aftermath[]

The last execution in Italy for common crimes^[3] took place on March 4, 1947 at 7:45 AM when D'Ignoti, Puleo and La Barbera were shot to death in a rifle range by 36 men.^[4]

Italian Parliament eventually abolished capital punishment in early 1948.^[2]

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k
Accorsi, Centini
— pp. 69-77
.
^ ^a ^b Giorgio Bocca (4 March 2007). "Pena di morte". la Repubblica (in Italian). pp. 34–35.
^ The last execution for war crimes took place the following day, against three former members of the Italian Social Republic.See "L'ultima esecuzione per crimini comuni in Italia". ilpost.it (in Italian). 4 March 2017.
^ "I criminali di Villarbasse fucilati ieri" (PDF). L'Unità (in Italian). 5 March 1947. p. 2.

Sources[]

Andrea Accorsi; Massimo Centini (2006). Newton Compton Editori (ed.). Delitti italiani risolti o irrisolti (in Italian). p. 574. ISBN 88-541-0707-7.

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[murder-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k
Accorsi, Centini
— pp. 69-77
.

[bocca-2] Giorgio Bocca (4 March 2007). "Pena di morte". la Repubblica (in Italian). pp. 34–35.

[3] The last execution for war crimes took place the following day, against three former members of the Italian Social Republic.See "L'ultima esecuzione per crimini comuni in Italia". ilpost.it (in Italian). 4 March 2017.

[4] "I criminali di Villarbasse fucilati ieri" (PDF). L'Unità (in Italian). 5 March 1947. p. 2.

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