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Giuseppe Musolino
Giuseppe Musolino (September 24, 1876 – January 22, 1956), also known as the "Brigante Musolino" or the "King of Aspromonte," was an Italian brigand and folk hero. Musolino received great notoriety and admiration in Calabria for escaping prison and committing a string of murders in retaliation for what he considered to be false testimony delivered against him while on trial; his later, second, trial after his recapture was subject to extensive international media coverage and attention.
Musolino was born on September 24, 1876, in Santo Stefano in Aspromonte, a rugged area in the Calabria region of southern Italy.
Musolino worked as a woodcutter, like his father, spending all of his early life in the mountains of Calabria. He grew up a peasant, and had at least four close relatives who'd previously been convicted of crimes.
On October 27, 1897, Musolino was at his father's tavern when he engaged in a massive brawl with brothers and picciotteria members Vincenzo and Stefano Zoccali; it has been speculated that this fight was over a hazelnut delivery gone awry, with matters being complicated by Musolino's tumultuous prior relationship with the Zoccalis' sister, Virginia. Vincenzo stabbed Musolino in the limbs 40 times during the fight. While Musolino lay gravely ill from his injuries, Zoccali was shot in an ambush. Despite his condition, Musolino was accused of the crime and forcibly taken from his sickbed to prison.
On September 28, 1898, at a trial before the Corte d'Assise of Reggio Calabria, Musolino was sentenced to 22 years of hard labor for attempted murder; experts noted that his conviction was largely based on circumstantial evidence. Many witnesses were said to have lied during their testimonies, and Musolino's lawyers had been barred from calling several witnesses to the stand on his behalf. This caused some to believe that Musolino was being treated unfairly. He maintained his innocence across the duration of this trial, claiming as an alibi that he'd been in bed recovering from the stabbing.
After his sentencing, Musolino was imprisoned in Gerace, a town in Calabria.
Seeking to exact revenge on those who had testified against him (most of whom he felt had done so in bad faith) Musolino escaped from his prison in Gerace on January 19, 1899. For several years, Musolino was housed by peasants in the Calabrian mountains; sympathizing with him and his cause, the peasants provided him food, water, guns, and information on the locations of witnesses from the trial. He went on a killing spree throughout the countryside, being accused of murdering anywhere between seven and twenty-five individuals, almost all of whom had testified against him during his trial. Musolino believed at the time that his patron saint, Saint Joseph, was guiding and protecting him while on the run.
As news spread of his story, escape, and string of murders, Musolino was hailed as a hero by Calabrians and others in southern Italy. He garnered significant support and sympathy from the citizens of a region where seeking revenge, often in a violent manner, was typically seen as the best way to bring about social justice, given that they felt Musolino had been wronged. In fact, he was supported by many local musicians and newspapers, and even was backed by several members of the picciotteria – the early form of the mafia-type organization later known as the 'Ndrangheta –, to which the Zoccali brothers belonged. He also was overwhelmingly supported by the poor, with many giving him information to assist in evading the authorities.
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Giuseppe Musolino
Giuseppe Musolino (September 24, 1876 – January 22, 1956), also known as the "Brigante Musolino" or the "King of Aspromonte," was an Italian brigand and folk hero. Musolino received great notoriety and admiration in Calabria for escaping prison and committing a string of murders in retaliation for what he considered to be false testimony delivered against him while on trial; his later, second, trial after his recapture was subject to extensive international media coverage and attention.
Musolino was born on September 24, 1876, in Santo Stefano in Aspromonte, a rugged area in the Calabria region of southern Italy.
Musolino worked as a woodcutter, like his father, spending all of his early life in the mountains of Calabria. He grew up a peasant, and had at least four close relatives who'd previously been convicted of crimes.
On October 27, 1897, Musolino was at his father's tavern when he engaged in a massive brawl with brothers and picciotteria members Vincenzo and Stefano Zoccali; it has been speculated that this fight was over a hazelnut delivery gone awry, with matters being complicated by Musolino's tumultuous prior relationship with the Zoccalis' sister, Virginia. Vincenzo stabbed Musolino in the limbs 40 times during the fight. While Musolino lay gravely ill from his injuries, Zoccali was shot in an ambush. Despite his condition, Musolino was accused of the crime and forcibly taken from his sickbed to prison.
On September 28, 1898, at a trial before the Corte d'Assise of Reggio Calabria, Musolino was sentenced to 22 years of hard labor for attempted murder; experts noted that his conviction was largely based on circumstantial evidence. Many witnesses were said to have lied during their testimonies, and Musolino's lawyers had been barred from calling several witnesses to the stand on his behalf. This caused some to believe that Musolino was being treated unfairly. He maintained his innocence across the duration of this trial, claiming as an alibi that he'd been in bed recovering from the stabbing.
After his sentencing, Musolino was imprisoned in Gerace, a town in Calabria.
Seeking to exact revenge on those who had testified against him (most of whom he felt had done so in bad faith) Musolino escaped from his prison in Gerace on January 19, 1899. For several years, Musolino was housed by peasants in the Calabrian mountains; sympathizing with him and his cause, the peasants provided him food, water, guns, and information on the locations of witnesses from the trial. He went on a killing spree throughout the countryside, being accused of murdering anywhere between seven and twenty-five individuals, almost all of whom had testified against him during his trial. Musolino believed at the time that his patron saint, Saint Joseph, was guiding and protecting him while on the run.
As news spread of his story, escape, and string of murders, Musolino was hailed as a hero by Calabrians and others in southern Italy. He garnered significant support and sympathy from the citizens of a region where seeking revenge, often in a violent manner, was typically seen as the best way to bring about social justice, given that they felt Musolino had been wronged. In fact, he was supported by many local musicians and newspapers, and even was backed by several members of the picciotteria – the early form of the mafia-type organization later known as the 'Ndrangheta –, to which the Zoccali brothers belonged. He also was overwhelmingly supported by the poor, with many giving him information to assist in evading the authorities.