The Monster of Florence: Italy’s mysterious serial killer
One of the most infamous serial killers in European history is The Monster of Florence, who terrorized the Italian city from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s.
The Monster of Florence – which translates to Il Mostro di Firenze in Italian – was a killer who took the lives of sixteen victims from 1968 to 1985. His victims were all young couples in secluded areas.
There has been plenty of media coverage surrounding the murders over the years, including books, documentaries, and movies. An upcoming series on Netflix - set to start streaming later in 2025 - is sure to reignite curiosity in the case.
With all this in mind, we are going to be diving further into the case of the Monster of Florence here at Crime+Investigation.
The crimes of the Monster of Florence
Over 17 years, the Monster of Florence took the lives of 16 people. As mentioned, they targeted young couples in quiet places. Many of the victims were in parked cars and trying to enjoy their time together, adding an element of depravity and voyeurism to the murders.
The ways that the couples were killed were particularly brutal due to the killer’s grotesque modus operandi. The victims were shot at close range with a .22 calibre Beretta pistol. They were either shot while still in their car or forced out of the vehicle.
After being shot, several of the female victims were then mutilated with a knife post-mortem. Some of the ways the killer did this included the removal of their breasts and genital mutilation.
The victims of the Monster of Florence
The couples who were targeted and killed by the Monster of Florence were as follows:
- Antonio Lo Bianco (29) and Barbara Locci (32): Shot and killed while in their car on 21st August 1968. Barbara’s six-year-old son was sleeping in the backseat when the murder took place.
- Pasquale Gentilcore (19) and Stefania Pettini (18): Shot and stabbed while having sex in Pasquale’s car on 15th September 1974. Stefania's corpse was abused with a grapevine stalk, and her body had almost 100 stab wounds.
- Giovanni Foggi (30) and Carmela De Nuccio (21): Shot and stabbed while in their car on 6th June 1981. Carmela’s pubic area was cut out after her body was dragged from the vehicle.
- Stefanio Baldi (26) and Susanna Cambi (24): Shot and stabbed in a park on 23rd October 1981. Susanna’s pubic area was also cut out.
- Paolo Mainardi (22) and Antonella Migliorini (20): Shot after having sex in Paolo’s car on 19th June 1982. Paolo was still alive when the couple were found, but he died in hospital a few hours later.
- Jens Uwe Rüsch (24) and Wilhelm Friedrich Horst Meyer (24): The only same-sex male couple killed. These students from West Germany were shot and killed in their Volkswagen Samba Bus on 9th September 1983. Authorities believed that the killer thought they were a man and a woman, as Jens had a small build and long blonde hair.
- Claudio Stefanacci (21) and Pia Gilda Rontini (18): Shot and stabbed in Claudio’s car. on 29th July 1984. Pia’s pubic area and left breast were cut out.
- Jean Michel Kraveichvili (25) and Nadine Mauriot (36): A French couple who were shot and stabbed while camping in a tent in a wooded area on 7th and 8th September, 1985. Nadine was mutilated and a taunting note and part of her breast were sent to the state prosecutor.
The investigations
There were various investigations conducted over the years to catch the killer or killers. In 1994, a Sardinian farm labourer with a criminal, violent history named Pietro Pacciani was convicted for the murder of seven of the eight couples. His conviction was overturned in 1996, but he passed away before a retrial could happen.
After his death, attention turned to Mario Vanni and Giancarlo Lotti, thought to be accomplices of Pacciani. Known as the 'Snack Buddies', they were convicted after being tried. However, many believe there was very little solid evidence for these convictions.
There is a plethora of media attention surrounding the murders, and they have also had a significant cultural impact. The mystery surrounding the case keeps questions rolling in even now, more than five decades since the first killing happened.
Although there were convictions, the whole truth may never come to light. All we know for sure is that the Monster of Florence was a cold-blooded killer who viciously took many innocent lives. The victims continue to be remembered to this day, and our thoughts are with their families.
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