Monster of Florence
Unsolved serial killer of young couples in Florence's countryside.
The Monster of Florence (Italian: *il Mostro di Firenze*) is the name given by the Italian press to a serial killer who operated in what was then the province of Florence (now the Metropolitan City of Florence) from 1968 to 1985. The killer murdered fourteen people, most often young couples who had secluded themselves for privacy in wooded areas during new moons. Although none of the killings took place within the city of Florence itself, the name stuck because the crimes occurred in the surrounding countryside. Initially called the “Maniac of Couples” (Italian: *il maniaco delle coppiette*), the case saw several people convicted for their involvement after an investigation that began in the 1980s, with the first major task force formed in 1982. Still, the exact chain of events, the main perpetrator’s identity, and the motive remain unknown.
The murders involved multiple weapons, including a .22 caliber handgun and a knife. In half of the cases, a large section of skin around the sexual organs was cut from the female victims. This was Italy’s first known case of serial murders targeting couples, often described as the country’s first modern serial killer case. It received enormous media coverage both during the crimes and throughout the trials of alleged perpetrators, changing the habits and daily life of the Florentine population, who began avoiding isolated places. The fact that victims were young couples also sparked media debate about allowing teenagers more freedom to find privacy at home, to keep them away from dangerous, remote spots.
Law enforcement conducted many investigations over the years. In 1996, Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation overturned the appeal acquittal of Pietro Pacciani and sent the case back for a new second-instance trial, which never happened because Pacciani died in 1998. In 2000, the Supreme Court of Cassation finally convicted Mario Vanni and Giancarlo Lotti for five and four of the eight double murders, respectively. They were charged as part of an alleged group that the press called the “Snack Buddies” (Italian: *compagni di merende*), after Vanni protested in court that the group were just friends who often met at local bars and restaurants for meals.
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Lore & Background
The Monster of Florence is the name given by the Italian press to a serial killer who murdered fourteen victims between 1968 and 1985, primarily young couples secluded in wooded areas of the province of Florence during new moons. The killer used multiple weapons, including a .22 caliber handgun and a knife, and in half of the cases excised a large portion of skin surrounding the sexual organs from female victims. The first known double murder occurred on 21 August 1968, when Antonio Lo Bianco and Barbara Locci were shot to death in Signa; Locci's six-year-old son, Natalino Mele, asleep in the back seat, fled after waking to find his mother dead. That murder was initially attributed to Locci's husband, Stefano Mele, who was convicted in 1974, but was later linked to the Monster after cartridge cases and bullets from the same handgun were found in Mele's case file in 1982.
Reader's Guide
The Monster of Florence represents the first known case of serial murders against couples in Italy and is often called the country's first modern serial killer case. The crimes received vast media coverage, influencing the habits of the Florentine population, who began to avoid secluded places, and sparked debate about granting adolescents privacy at home to avoid dangerous isolated spots. Despite convictions of Mario Vanni and Giancarlo Lotti in 2000 for five and four of the eight double murders respectively, and the acquittal on appeal of Pietro Pacciani (who died in 1998 before a new trial), the case remains unsolved. Physical evidence such as DNA and fingerprints attributable to accomplices have never been found at crime scenes, the killer's firearm has never been traced, and the excised anatomical parts have not been recovered. Investigations into possible esoteric motives and other suspects have continued into the 2010s and 2020s without objective confirmation.
Did You Know?
- The Monster of Florence is one of only about ten documented serial killers since the 1950s who targeted couples, and one of four with a similar modus operandi of shooting young secluded lovers with a handgun.
- In 1985, the Florence Prosecutor's Office received a letter that included the breast flap of a victim.
- The killer's firearm, a presumed Beretta handgun, has never been traced.
- The case is not officially closed due to further investigations continuing into the 2010s and 2020s.
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