Sicilian businessman given a horse’s head as a warning to the mafia

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A severed horse head was found on the property of a Sicilian businessman; local authorities attribute this action to mafia intimidation.

The animal’s bloody head was left on the seat of a digger belonging to a businessman who is a construction contractor in Altofonte, near Palermo, Sicily’s regional capital. The body of a pregnant cow and calf were also left at the scene.

This chilling scene brought back memories of one of the most famous scenes from the 1972 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola: GodfatherDon Vito Corleone is played by Marlon Brando. In the film, a filmmaker wakes up with the severed head of his prized thoroughbred horse in his bed after Don Corleone rejects his request to cast his godson.

The Sicilian contractor, who is known in the region and regularly undertakes construction works for local councils, reported the incident to the police and added that he had received threats before. Police think the man may have become a target for allegedly refusing to pay protection money to the mafia or comply with its demands.

Altofonte mayor Angela De Luca offered “solidarity” to the businessman, saying: “This stopped me, I cannot explain such barbarity.”

“Our entire community is deeply shocked by an action that seems to take us back to the Middle Ages. “I have confidence in the forces of law and order working to establish what happened and identify who was behind this horrific act.”

Sicilian politician Edy Tamajo condemned the “despicable” act, saying: “This unprecedented act of cruelty represents a mafia mentality that must be destroyed.

“It is very important that the Carabinieri and the judiciary shed light on this incident and bring those responsible to justice.”

The Sicilian mafia, also known as Cosa Nostra, has had a strong base in Palermo for years.

Iano Monaco, president of the Association of Architects of the State of Palermo, expressed “solidarity and support to the entrepreneur who was the victim of violent intimidation” in his statement.

In September last year, Matteo Messina Denaro, also known as the last “godfather”, died while being treated for cancer after being arrested in January. He had been a fugitive 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 Cosa Nostra.