Local authorities think head discovered at businessman’s property may be part of mafia intimidation tactic 
</a>A severed horse’s head has been discovered at the property of a Sicilian businessman, in what local authorities believe may be a mafia intimidation tactic reminiscent of a scene from The Godfather.
The animal’s head was left on the seat of a digger owned by the man, a construction contractor in Altofonte, near the Sicilian capital, Palermo. The remains of a pregnant cow and its calf were also found at the site.
The businessman, who is well known in the town, reported the incident to police and told them he had previously received threats and warnings. Police think he may have been targeted for allegedly refusing to pay protection money or comply with other mafia demands.
The scene echoes the moment in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 film when a producer wakes to find the severed head of his thoroughbred horse in his bed.
Angela De Luca, the mayor of Altofonte, said her community had been deeply disturbed. “I was petrified, I can’t comprehend such barbarity,” she said. “This act seems to take us back to the middle ages, with its unacceptable methods.”
The news sparked a row on the island, where more than 20 mafia bosses have been released from prison in recent months after serving their sentences.
Delivering severed animal heads or dismembered animal bodies is among the most common intimidation tactics employed by the mafia in Sicily, predating the Godfather.
According to investigators, the tactic serves the dual purpose of terrorising its victims and striking at their most cherished bonds: animals to which they are often deeply attached.
Last May, the head of a goat was found in front of the home of a construction entrepreneur in Palermo and in 2023, a pig’s head was hung at the gate of a police station in the province of Messina.
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In 2017, a decapitated bird was discovered in front of the school in Palermo dedicated to the legendary anti-mafia judge Giovanni Falcone, who was murdered by Cosa Nostra in 1992.
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The animal’s bloody head was left on the seat of a digger that belonged to the businessman
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A severed horse’s head was found on the property of a Sicilian businessman, an act that local authorities are attributing to a <a href="/topic/mafia">mafia</a> intimidation practice
The animal’s bloody head was left on the seat of a digger that belonged to the businessman, who is a construction contractor in Altofonte near Sicily’s regional capital <a href="/topic/palermo">Palermo</a>
The body of a pregnant cow and its calf were also left on the site
The grisly scene stirred up memories of one of the most famous scenes in the 1972 <a href="/topic/francis-ford-coppola">Francis Ford Coppola</a>-directed film, The <a href="/news/world/europe/matteo-messina-denaro-mafia-funeral-siciliy-b2419558.html">Godfather</a>, starring <a href="/topic/marlon-brando">Marlon Brando</a> as Don Vito Corleone
a film producer wakes up with the severed head of his prized thoroughbred horse in his bed after he refuses Don Corleone’s request for his godson to be given a role
who is known in the area and regularly takes up building work for local councils
reported the incident to the police and added that he had received threats earlier
The police believe that he may have become a target for allegedly refusing to pay protection money to the mafia or comply with their demands
Altofonte mayor Angela De Luca offered “solidarity” to the businessman and said: “It stopped me in my tracks
“Our whole community is deeply shocked by an act which seems to take us back to mediaeval times
I have faith in the forces of law and order working to ascertain what happened and identify who is behind this dreadful act.”
Sicilian politician Edy Tamajo condemned the “vile” act and said: “This act of unheard-of cruelty represents a mafia mentality that must be eradicated
“It is essential that the Carabinieri and the judiciary shed full light on this episode and bring those responsible to justice.”
The Sicilian mafia, also known as the <a href="/topic/cosa-nostra">Cosa Nostra</a>, has for years had a <a href="/news/obituaries/rita-borsellino-dead-biography-anti-mafia-italy-politician-sicily-cosa-nostra-a8511036.html">strong base in Palermo</a>
president of the Order of Architects of the Province of Palermo
expressed “solidarity and support for the entrepreneur who was the victim of violent intimidation” in a statement
In September last year, <a href="/news/world/europe/matteo-messina-denaro-death-sicilian-mafia-b2417853.html">Matteo Messina Denaro</a>, also known as the last “godfather”, died while receiving medical treatment for cancer after being arrested in January. He had been on the run since 1993 and was suffering from colon cancer at the time of his arrest. He is believed to have ordered dozens of Mafia-related murders for the Cosa Nostra.
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