Severed Horse Head, Pregnant Cow: Sicilian Mafia Recreates Godfather Scene In 'Horrific' Threat

Last Updated:November 24, 2024, 21:29 IST

The discovery of a horse head and the body of a pregnant cow has spooked a Sicilian town, with police probing it as a mafia intimidation tactic.

Sicily has long been plagued by organised crime and violence. (Reuters)

The iconic scene of a character waking up to find his decapitated head of his prized horse in his bed set the tone for Francis Ford Copolla’s iconic 1972 film The Godfather. A grizzly real-life recreation of that scene, allegedly used as a threat by mafia, has rattled a Sicilian town of Italy.

A severed head of a horse and a cow with its bloodied dead calf on top were discovered on the property of a building contractor in the town of Altofonte, near Palermo, police told CNN, sparking panic of an apparent mafia threat. However, the contractor told cops that he had not received any threats prior to the gruesome discovery.

Notably, the construction and garbage industries are the two most prominent mafia-linked business sectors in Sicily, according to a report from the Anti-Mafia Directorate. The contractor often carried out construction work for the local municipality, which has worked hard to deny mafia-related firms from winning favours.

Police Treating Incident As ‘Mafia n Tactic’

The contractor, whose identity was concealed to protect him during the ongoing investigation, said he had not been approached by any group demanding money or favours. A police spokesperson told CNN that the incident is being treated as a “mafia intimidation tactic".

According to Anti-Mafia Directorate’s chief Maurizio de Lucia, the incident, starkly reminiscent of the scene from The Godfather, may be related to the recent release of 20 mafia members from local prisons after their sentences expired, possibly on vengeance mode.

The mayor of Altofonte, Angela De Lucia, said she was “petrified" when she heard the news. “I can’t comprehend such barbarity," she told local media outlets. “This act seems to take us back to the middle ages."

Mafia Problem In Sicily

The use of dead animals, most frequently dogs, is a common intimidation tactic on the southern Italian island. The Sicilian Cosa Nostra crime syndicate was notorious for using dead animals to scare off people for decades. Last year, a severed pig’s head was found hanging at local police station and a local business contractor found the head of a goat on his garden gate.

Sicily has been dealing with organised crime for centuries. Cosa Nostra’s violent history rose to new heights in 1992 when two anti-mafia judges, Paolo Borsellino and Giovanni Falcone, were assassinated in separate roadside explosions. Recently, the Cosa Nostra syndicated has moved away from violence and turned their attention to white collar crimes in industries like construction and sanitation.

However, these mafia groups continue to rely on extortion and protection money. According to The Japan Times, the mafia groups have seized on the increasing inequality and polarisation to increase their influence in the declining and indebted Italian state.

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