The Monster of Florence

The Monster of Florence

August 21, 1968

The first two victims were two lovers who had parked their white Alfa Romeo Giulietta near a dirt road close to the Signa cemetery.
That night, Antonio Lo Bianco, a 29-year-old bricklayer from Palermo, married and father of three, and Barbara Locci, a 32-year-old housewife from Villasalto, Sardinia, were murdered.

At the crime scene, five casings of .22 caliber “Long Rifle Winchester” bullets with the letter “H” stamped on the base were found.

The two bodies showed no signs of mutilation, initially leading to the belief that it was a crime of passion, possibly committed by Locci’s husband, who was later cleared of all charges.

Until 1982, it was believed that the perpetrator of this crime was not “the Monster of Florence.”

However, it was indeed the beginning of the nightmare that would haunt the serene hills of Tuscany for a long time…

September 14, 1974: six years after that “first” crime…

Pasquale Gentilcore, a 19-year-old employee at Fondiaria Assicurazioni, and Stefania Pettini, 18 years old and the youngest victim of the serial killer alongside Pia Rontini, a secretary at a warehouse in Florence and a Communist Party activist, were murdered on a dirt road in Rabatta, near Borgo San Lorenzo.
Reports describe the terrible tortures inflicted on Stefania’s body, so horrific and violent that during the trial, a carabiniere fainted while viewing the photos of her body.

Before leaving the scene, the killer attacked Pasquale’s lifeless body with a knife, delivering five blows to the liver.

The Monster of Florence had returned!

June 6, 1981:

Seven years after the second murder, two double murders were committed in the same year.
The first took place on the night of June 6-7, 1981, near Mosciano di Scandicci.

The victims were Giovanni Foggi, a 30-year-old Enel employee, and his girlfriend, Carmela De Nuccio, a 21-year-old leather worker from Nardò, Lecce.

The couple had known each other for only a few months but had already planned to marry.

Giovanni was shot three times through the front left window, while Carmela was hit with five bullets.

She was dragged out of the car and down a small embankment where her jeans were cut off, and with three precise knife slashes, her pubic area was removed.

Before leaving the scene, the killer stabbed Giovanni’s lifeless body.

The bodies were discovered the following morning, with Giovanni still inside the car, as in the previous murder seven years prior.

The weapons used were once again a Beretta .22 caliber and a knife. The killer had mutilated the bodies, particularly Carmela’s, and her purse had been rifled through, though nothing appeared to be missing.

October 22, 1981

As Tuscany trembled, the Monster of Florence reappeared…
Only four months after the previous murder, Stefano Baldi, a 26-year-old textile worker from Calenzano, and Susanna Cambi, a 24-year-old sales assistant, were murdered near Prato, along a dirt road near an abandoned farmhouse.

Cambi was shot and killed with five bullets, while Baldi was shot four times.

The infamous Winchester cartridges with the “H” on the base, fired from the same .22 Long Rifle Beretta, were found. Seven casings were recovered out of the nine expected.

The Autopsy

The autopsy revealed that Susanna Cambi’s pubic area was removed, but less precisely than in the case of De Nuccio. Her left breast showed severe knife wounds. The body had at least four stab wounds, three of which were to the back.

June 19, 1982: that night, Paolo Mainardi, a 22-year-old mechanic, and Antonella Migliorini, 19, a garment worker, were murdered.

The couple, inseparable friends nicknamed “Vinavil” by their peers, had parked their Fiat 147 in a secluded area after spending the evening with family.
The killer took advantage of the darkness, firing shots at the couple; nine .22 caliber casings were found at the scene, with the same “H” marking.

Paolo, though wounded, managed to start the car and reverse, but the car ended up stuck on the opposite side of the road.

The killer then shot out the car’s headlights and killed both. According to court testimony, the Monster of Florence removed the keys from the ignition in a display of disdain.

Unlike previous murders, this crime occurred in a less isolated location, with traffic still passing nearby. The killer did not mutilate the bodies, likely due to the risks involved.

The crime was discovered shortly afterward by passersby. Antonella was dead, while Paolo was still alive but died at the hospital the next morning without regaining consciousness.

September 9, 1983 – Horst Wilhelm Meyer and Jens-Uwe Rüsch

The Monster of Florence struck again!
Two German tourists, both 24 and students at the University of Münster, were murdered in their Volkswagen T1 van.

Seven bullets killed the pair, fired with precision through the van’s body. Meyer was shot three times, and Rüsch, in an attempt to flee, was shot four times, including once in the head.

Realizing the victims were both male, the killer left without using a knife or mutilating the bodies.

It is believed that the killer mistook Rüsch for a woman due to his long hair and slender frame.

July 29, 1984

Claudio Stefanacci, a 21-year-old university student, and Pia Gilda Rontini, an 18-year-old who worked at a bar in Vicchio, were the next victims.
Their light blue Fiat Panda was parked on a dirt road off the provincial Sagginalese road.

The killer shot through the right door, hitting Claudio four times, including once in the head, and shot Pia twice as she tried to flee, striking her in the back and forehead.

The killer then stabbed both, striking Pia twice in the throat and Claudio about ten times.

Pia’s pubic area and left breast were removed.

September 7, 1985

The last double murder occurred in the countryside near San Casciano Val di Pesa, at Scopeti, near a cemetery.
The victims were two French tourists: Jean-Michel Kraveichvili, a 25-year-old musician, and Nadine Mauriot, 36, a shoe shop owner and mother of two.

They were camping near their car when the killer struck, cutting the tent and shooting them.

Jean-Michel attempted to flee but was stabbed to death. Nadine’s body was also mutilated and hidden inside the tent.

Outcomes

In subsequent years, trials were held for the so-called “Compagni di merende,” who were convicted. However, many alternative theories have emerged.
Some believe the real killer was a doctor or pharmacist from Umbria, while others think the Monster of Florence and the Zodiac Killer are the same person.

We may never know the truth, but we all have our theories. Let us know yours in the comments.