The Monster of Florence biography

Synopsis

First Murder

Notorious Figure, serial killer. "Il Mostro di Firenze", or "The Monster of Florence", first came to prominence in 1981 in Florence, Italy. The killer became notorious for his homicidal pattern; he always targeted amorous couples that were out alone, shot them at close range with a .22-caliber Beretta, and then mutilated the sexual organs of the female victim with a sharp knife.

Il Mostro earned notoriety on June 6, 1981, after the bodies of 30-year-old Giovanni Foggi and his fiancée, 21-year-old Carmela Di Nuccio, were found near their vehicle in the Scandicci area of Tuscany, Italy. The killer had shot Foggi and Di Nuccio with a .22-caliber Beretta while the couple was parked in their car near a local "lover's lane." He then stabbed them repeatedly. After they were both dead, the murderer pulled Di Nuccio's lifeless body approximately 30 feet from the car and carefully removed her reproductive organs with a serrated knife commonly used by S.C.U.B.A. divers. The near-surgical precision with which the genitals were cut from the victim's body suggested that the killer had a medical background.

Investigators initially suspected ambulance driver—and secret voyeur—Enzo Spalleti, whose car had been parked near the scene of the crime. As law enforcement officers probed Spaletti further, he gave vague, conflicting alibis. More evidence revealed that the suspect had told his wife about the incident before it had been announced in the paper. With this evidence, Spalleti was charged with two counts of homicide and sent to prison to stand trial. Several months later, however, a new murder led police to believe they had apprehended the wrong man.

On October 23, 1981, 24-year-old Susanna Cambi and her boyfriend, 26-year-old Stefano Baldi, were found dead at a scenic overlook north of Florence. Both members of the couple were shot several times with a .22-caliber Beretta. They had also been stabbed and, as in the previous homicide, the female victim was dragged from the car and her genitals were removed with a sharp knife. After a ballistics investigation, experts concluded that the gun used on Foggi and Di Nuccio in July was the same weapon used in this double homicide. Spalleti, no longer a murder suspect, was released from prison.

Police revealed the details of the deaths to the media in the hopes of gathering more clues and preventing young couples from parking alone at night. News writer Mario Spezi dubbed the killer "Il Mostro di Firenze," and the reports of the killer inspired fear in the heart of Florence locals, but no relevant details about a subject surfaced.