The bloodied remains of a horse and cow were discoverd on a prominent businessman’s property in Sicily, Italy.
Authorities in the town of Altofonte, near Sicily’s capital Palermo, are treating the crime as an intimidation message from the mafia, CNN reported Nov. 23.
A well-known building contractor in the area seemed to be the target of the grisly message, involving a severed horse head placed in the seat of one of his diggers.
But that wasn’t all.
The carcass of a pregnant cow, its calf ripped from her body and placed on top, was also found on the contractor’s property, The Telegraph reported.
The mayor of Altofonte expressed disgust with the crime.
“It stopped me in my tracks, I can’t explain such barbarity,” Mayor Angela De Luca said.
“Our whole community is deeply shocked for an act which seems to take us back to medieval times. I have faith in the forces of law and order working to ascertain what happened and identify who is behind this dreadful act,” she said.
The builder, who often did contract work for the town, has remained anonymous for his own safety during the ongoing investigation.
Was this the mob’s doing?
He told police, however, that he had not received any threats prior to the incident.
The town of Altofonte has worked hard to keep mafia-involved firms from winning building contracts, CNN reported.
The incident may have something to do with the recent release of 20 mafiosos from prison, their sentences having expired.
“We can’t let our guard down, the fight against the mafia just got more difficult with these men free,” said Anti-Mafia Directorate’s chief Maurizio de Lucia.
The bloody incident conjures up images of the infamous scene from the 1972 film “The Godfather,” starring Marlon Brando.
For the uninitiated, the scene is posted below.
WARNING: The following video contains images that some may find offensive.
In The Godfather (1972), John Marley’s (Jack Wolz) scream of horror in the horse head scene was real, as he was not told that a real horse head, which was obtained from a dog food company, was going to be used. pic.twitter.com/dYf3RSpL1F
— Bad Spit (@BadSpit) February 11, 2023
Casa Nostra, Sicily’s mafia, is known for its barbarism.
In January 2023, police captured Cosa Nostra godfather Matteo Messina Denaro after 30 years.
One instance of Denaro’s brutality was demonstrated on the son of a police informant.
Denaro had the 12-year-old boy kidnapped, strangled and then dissolved in a vat of acid.
Denaro died of cancer while in prison in September 2023, according to The Telegraph.
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