321:
standard convict (which he already was, as a prison escapee) attire; instead, he demanded the right to dress formally. Additionally, he interrupted witnesses and the judge on several occasions as they were speaking, often to applause as well as tears from
Calabrians present at the trial who were moved by Musolino's story. Musolino also did not directly answer any questions asked of him when they were posed during the trial; instead, he would respond by retelling very long stories of his crimes and early life that were perceived by observers to have been out-of-context, again eliciting a great emotional response. Furthermore, he attempted to strangle a female witness after she provided testimony against him.
286:, who had been sent along with one thousand soldiers by the government to search for him. He had gotten his foot caught in a rabbit trap; he attempted to lie about who he was, and was not immediately identified. During interrogation sessions over the following days, Musolino continued to lie about his identity, insisting that his name was Francesco Colafiore and providing a fictionalized life story. Police suspected that the man was truly Giuseppe Musolino, not Colafiore; on October 16, in an effort to confirm his identity, the police brought in a Calabrian man with whom Musolino had feuded in years past. Having been recognized by the man immediately, Musolino admitted his true identity.
223:, 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.
380:
430:
251:
338:
395:. He remained there for 44 years, until he was declared mentally insane by Italian authorities in 1946. At this point, he was transferred to an asylum in Reggio Calabria. He was kept there for the final 10 years of his life; although he was under close surveillance, he also experienced much more comfortable conditions than the ones he'd endured in prison.
239:
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
371:
mentally impaired when committing these acts, or that he was unfit to stand trial. Furthermore, they determined these acts to be premeditated, given the threats he had made numerous times while on the run against the witnesses from his first trial. Musolino was sentenced to life in prison, including eight years of solitary confinement.
357:
During this trial, Musolino did not refute the notion that he'd killed many people; his defense was that he would shoot openly rather than ambushing his victims, that he would only kill people who had attacked him first, and that he would only kill those he deemed to be traitors. Musolino argued that
353:
While he was being held in
Catanzaro prior to this trial, Musolino had several episodes of epileptic seizures, although the prison director said he believed he was faking it. Musolino claimed during the trial that these episodes had been real and occurring for several years, with them having been at
329:
Musolino's defense team, using his conduct during this second trial as evidence, attempted to convince the court that he was unfit to stand trial and was mentally impaired while committing his crimes. A number of criminologists and psychiatrists were called upon to examine
Musolino and determine if
446:
While in prison following his second trial, Musolino's legend grew further, and he gained significant notoriety as an
Italian sex symbol; he bragged about the thousands of letters he had received in prison, many of which he claimed were from women clamoring for his acquittal and physical presence.
349:
described
Musolino as a highly intelligent, megalomaniacal "born criminal," destined from birth to engage in criminality mainly due to his epilepsy. Lombroso wrote that the family histories of epilepsy and criminality were intertwined and greatly contributed to Musolino's epileptic attacks and the
320:
During the two-month-long trial, which took place in 1902, some observers described him as exhibiting erratic behavior and possessing an especially contemptuous attitude toward the legal system. Examples cited included his refusal to participate in the trial as long as he was being forced to wear
370:
On July 11, 1902, the jury found
Musolino guilty on all counts. They determined that Musolino's actions were rooted in a personal vendetta, finding that he had murdered 12 of the 15 witnesses who had testified against him in the Zoccali trial. They also were not convinced that he had been at all
304:
After his arrest and subsequent identification, Musolino was charged with twenty-three total criminal counts; he was charged with seven counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder, along with several charges of theft. Notably, many deemed these charges insufficient, believing that he had
258:
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
238:
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
209:
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,
361:
Musolino's defense was complicated by several factors. His legal team saw significant turnover; he began with ten lawyers, all of whom ended up in conflict with one another, resigned, agreed to rejoin the team, and resigned once again. In the end, Musolino had only one lawyer, an
362:
eighty-three-year-old whom he'd managed to hire during the trial. Additionally, during this trial, Musolino admitted to each instance of murder he had been accused of in court (except for the alleged attempted murder of
Vincenzo Zoccali, for which he maintained his innocence).
410:
It can be said that Musolino was seen by his countrymen as a symbol of the injustice Calabria was facing at the time. As an elusive fugitive, always managing to escape traps, Musolino stirred the imagination of many people in Italy and in short order became a
31:
178:
for escaping prison and committing a string of murders in retaliation for false testimony delivered against him while on trial; his later, second, trial after his recapture was subject to extensive international media coverage and attention.
210:
leaving Musolino barely alive. Two days later, on October 29, Musolino found Vincenzo at a stable and shot at him, missing; Musolino and his cousin, alleged co-conspirator Antonio Filastò, ran from police for 6 months before being captured.
426:. Additionally, Musolino claimed to have descended from nobility, particularly on his mother's side, which led to further media fascination. Musolino was reported to have relished, and as a result actively sought, the media attention.
398:
As an asylum inmate, Musolino was allowed to go on walks throughout the city, where he was often greeted by flocks of onlookers. He once tried to flee the asylum, likely out of confusion resulting from his deteriorating mental state.
350:
resulting violent acts he committed. He also attributed Musolino's criminality to his falling into a group of southern Calabrians of Albanian and Greek heritage who were naturally predisposed to living lives of violence.
194:
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.
447:
According to Musolino, one letter was signed by "a hundred women in decent position in Florence," all of whom were so infatuated with him that they'd decided to publish their letter in a Florentine newspaper.
1043:
259:
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
309:, a city in Calabria. However, due to the overwhelming public support for Musolino and his cause in southern Italy, the courts were forced to move him and hold a trial in
450:
Musolino became the subject of many Calabrian folk tales and popular songs. Musolino was the subject of songs by several famous 20th-century Calabrian singers, such as
305:
killed or at least attempted to kill many more individuals than the court had charged him with. Prior to the trial, Musolino was held for several months in a prison in
265:, 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.
1088:
863:
1078:
700:
418:
Contributing to Musolino's status as a legend across the globe was the widespread coverage of his story in major foreign newspapers, such as
1017:
1008:
999:
1093:
1098:
968:
751:
812:
614:
595:
402:
He died in the Reggio Calabria asylum on January 22, 1956, at the age of 79. He was buried in his hometown of Santo Stefano.
1083:
269:
792:
1073:
1048:
188:
51:
47:
1063:
119:
1068:
1053:
1103:
1058:
770:
203:
On October 27, 1897, Musolino was at his father's tavern when he engaged in a massive brawl with brothers and
641:
330:
he was of sound enough mind; besides his peculiar behavior, it was noted that he had a family history of
429:
379:
1038:
1033:
463:
439:
123:
840:
964:
747:
591:
215:
588:
King of the Mountains: The Remarkable Story of Giuseppe Musolino, Italy's Most Famous Outlaw
250:
510:
476:
358:
he had possessed a moral justification for killing those who had lied at his first trial.
346:
220:
69:
991:
480:
468:
434:
1027:
500:
496:
388:
455:
451:
261:
244:
240:
205:
113:
471:, was based on his life. His life story was also the subject of the concept-album
337:
987:
334:
and alcoholism, and numerous relatives were deemed by doctors to be apoplectic.
282:
30:
273:
306:
268:
Musolino began traveling to Rome at the public's behest to seek pardon from
171:
841:"Trial of Musolino. Public Shows Sentimental Sympathy for the Noted Bandit"
331:
175:
314:
167:
317:; this was determined to be the only way to ensure an impartial jury.
412:
277:
227:
744:"Misfits" in Fin-de-Siècle France and Italy: Anatomies of Difference
557:, vol. 71, no. 18, American Periodicals Series III, 1902, p. 1057.
428:
378:
336:
310:
249:
55:
392:
341:
A sketch of Musolino produced around the time of his 1902 trial
387:
Musolino was initially sent to the prison at Fort Longone in
280:. Musolino was found in a vineyard by the two members of the
158:(September 24, 1876 – January 22, 1956), also known as the
383:
Fort Longone, where Musolino was imprisoned from 1902-1946
191:, a rugged area in the Calabria region of southern Italy.
272:; however, on October 9, 1901, Musolino was captured in
884:
L'arresto di Musolino e l'opinione pubblica in Calabria
174:. Musolino received great notoriety and admiration in
686:(in Italian). Milano, Italy: Fratelli Treves Editori.
682:
Morselli, Enrico Agostino; De Sanctis, Sante (1903).
1044:
People from the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria
1000:
Arrestato il famoso e temutissimo brigante Musolino
247:, was guiding and protecting him while on the run.
141:
133:
105:
93:
85:
77:
62:
40:
21:
483:also dedicated an entire album to Musolino, named
621:. Vol. 8. London: George Newnes Ltd. pp. 399–405.
226:After his sentencing, Musolino was imprisoned in
777:. London, England. October 26, 1901. p. 14.
254:Urbino, near where Musolino was captured in 1901
1002:, La Domenica del Corriere del 27 ottobre 1901
213:On September 28, 1898, at a trial before the
8:
1011:, La Domenica del Corriere del 4 maggio 1902
954:
952:
637:
635:
633:
631:
629:
627:
187:Musolino was born on September 24, 1876, in
1018:Il rientro del bandito Musolino nel carcere
961:Dizionario completo della Canzone Italiana
29:
18:
1020:, La Tribuna Illustrata del 4 maggio 1902
898:– Corriere della Sera 27–28 ottobre 1901.
886:– Corriere della Sera 22–23 ottobre 1901.
746:. United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Publishing.
97:Prison escape, murder spree, murder trial
922:– Corriere della Sera 17–18 aprile 1902.
910:– Corriere della Sera 18–29 aprile 1901.
1009:Il processo contro il brigante Musolino
934:– Corriere della Sera 20–21 maggio 1902
553:Sedgwick, H. D. “Musolino the Bandit.”
523:
420:The New York Times, The Washington Post
813:"Musolino's Actions in the Court Room"
788:
786:
784:
644:, The New York Times, October 17, 1901
549:
547:
437:starring as Musolino in the 1950 film
354:their worst while he was on the run.
896:A proposito dell'apologia di Musolino
858:
856:
854:
835:
833:
831:
829:
807:
805:
765:
763:
737:
545:
543:
541:
539:
537:
535:
533:
531:
529:
527:
7:
1089:People convicted of attempted murder
959:Enrico Deregibus (October 8, 2010).
735:
733:
731:
729:
727:
725:
723:
721:
719:
717:
694:
692:
678:
676:
674:
672:
670:
668:
609:
607:
581:
579:
577:
575:
573:
571:
569:
567:
565:
563:
908:Strano interrogatorio dell'imputato
1079:Italian people convicted of murder
699:Warragul, Vic (10 December 1901).
14:
642:Italian Brigand Musolino Captured
485:La storia di lu briganti Musulinu
946:– Il Mattino 20–21 ottobre 1902.
868:Nuova Antologia 1902-02: Vol 181
613:Vecchia, Giovanni Dalla (1902).
920:Il processo di Musolino a Lucca
990:, from Old Calabria (1915) by
932:Il processo Musolino va avanti
415:throughout Italy and abroad.
199:Initial crimes and first trial
1:
290:Second trial and imprisonment
513:'s "The Last Brigand" (1902)
345:Famed Italian criminologist
270:Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
189:Santo Stefano in Aspromonte
81:Santo Stefano in Aspromonte
48:Santo Stefano in Aspromonte
1120:
1094:People convicted of murder
944:Dopo l'arresto di Musolino
847:. 21 June 1902. p. 5.
793:MUSSOLINO’S LIFE SENTENCE.
615:"The Passing of Musolino."
66:January 22, 1956 (aged 79)
1099:People convicted of theft
149:
101:
28:
963:. Giunti Editore, 2010.
661:). 1977. pp. 86–87.
684:Biografia di un bandito
619:The World Wide Magazine
586:Possumato, Dan (2023).
324:
988:"Musolino and the Law"
771:"The Brigand Musolino"
708:West Gippsland Gazette
657:. Vol. I volume (
655:L'Italia del XX secolo
443:
384:
342:
255:
230:, a town in Calabria.
862:Lombroso, C. (1902).
742:Ashley, S.A. (2017).
432:
382:
340:
253:
164:"King of Aspromonte,"
122:including 8 years of
1084:People from Calabria
590:. Smoky City Press.
503:(see also Hobsbawm,
473:Il Brigante Musolino
464:Il Brigante Musolino
440:Il Brigante Musolino
300:Charges and behavior
124:solitary confinement
555:Outlook (1893-1924)
424:The Times of London
391:, on the island of
160:"Brigante Musolino"
1074:Calabrian folklore
1049:Italian brigandage
820:The New York Times
797:The New York Times
499:'s concept of the
444:
406:Musolino as legend
385:
343:
325:Musolino's defense
256:
234:Escape from prison
44:September 24, 1876
1064:Italian murderers
864:L’ultimo Brigante
795:(1902, June 12).
433:A photo of actor
156:Giuseppe Musolino
153:
152:
120:Life imprisonment
35:Giuseppe Musolino
23:Giuseppe Musolino
1111:
1069:Italian escapees
1054:Italian folklore
1016:
1007:
998:
975:
974:
956:
947:
941:
935:
929:
923:
917:
911:
905:
899:
893:
887:
881:
875:
860:
849:
848:
837:
824:
823:
822:. June 22, 1902.
817:
809:
800:
790:
779:
778:
767:
758:
757:
739:
712:
711:
705:
696:
687:
680:
663:
662:
651:
645:
639:
622:
611:
602:
601:
583:
558:
551:
505:Primitive Rebels
106:Criminal penalty
33:
19:
1119:
1118:
1114:
1113:
1112:
1110:
1109:
1108:
1104:Reggio Calabria
1059:Italian bandits
1024:
1023:
1014:
1005:
996:
984:
979:
978:
971:
958:
957:
950:
942:
938:
930:
926:
918:
914:
906:
902:
894:
890:
882:
878:
861:
852:
839:
838:
827:
815:
811:
810:
803:
791:
782:
769:
768:
761:
754:
741:
740:
715:
703:
701:"A Bandit Bold"
698:
697:
690:
681:
666:
653:
652:
648:
640:
625:
612:
605:
598:
585:
584:
561:
552:
525:
520:
511:Cesare Lombroso
493:
477:Otello Profazio
408:
377:
368:
347:Cesare Lombroso
327:
302:
297:
292:
236:
221:Reggio Calabria
201:
185:
166:was an Italian
145:22 October 1901
142:Escape end
137:19 January 1899
129:
73:
70:Reggio Calabria
67:
58:
52:Reggio Calabria
45:
36:
24:
17:
16:Italian brigand
12:
11:
5:
1117:
1115:
1107:
1106:
1101:
1096:
1091:
1086:
1081:
1076:
1071:
1066:
1061:
1056:
1051:
1046:
1041:
1036:
1026:
1025:
1022:
1021:
1012:
1003:
994:
992:Norman Douglas
983:
982:External links
980:
977:
976:
970:978-8809756250
969:
948:
936:
924:
912:
900:
888:
876:
850:
825:
801:
780:
759:
753:978-1350013391
752:
713:
688:
664:
646:
623:
603:
596:
559:
522:
521:
519:
516:
515:
514:
508:
492:
489:
481:Cicciu Busacca
469:Mario Camerini
461:The 1950 film
435:Amedeo Nazzari
407:
404:
376:
373:
367:
364:
326:
323:
301:
298:
296:
293:
291:
288:
235:
232:
216:Corte d'Assise
200:
197:
184:
181:
151:
150:
147:
146:
143:
139:
138:
135:
131:
130:
128:
127:
117:
109:
107:
103:
102:
99:
98:
95:
94:Known for
91:
90:
87:
83:
82:
79:
75:
74:
68:
64:
60:
59:
46:
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1116:
1105:
1102:
1100:
1097:
1095:
1092:
1090:
1087:
1085:
1082:
1080:
1077:
1075:
1072:
1070:
1067:
1065:
1062:
1060:
1057:
1055:
1052:
1050:
1047:
1045:
1042:
1040:
1037:
1035:
1032:
1031:
1029:
1019:
1013:
1010:
1004:
1001:
995:
993:
989:
986:
985:
981:
972:
966:
962:
955:
953:
949:
945:
940:
937:
933:
928:
925:
921:
916:
913:
909:
904:
901:
897:
892:
889:
885:
880:
877:
873:
869:
865:
859:
857:
855:
851:
846:
845:Auckland Star
842:
836:
834:
832:
830:
826:
821:
814:
808:
806:
802:
798:
794:
789:
787:
785:
781:
776:
772:
766:
764:
760:
755:
749:
745:
738:
736:
734:
732:
730:
728:
726:
724:
722:
720:
718:
714:
709:
702:
695:
693:
689:
685:
679:
677:
675:
673:
671:
669:
665:
660:
656:
650:
647:
643:
638:
636:
634:
632:
630:
628:
624:
620:
616:
610:
608:
604:
599:
597:9780991616923
593:
589:
582:
580:
578:
576:
574:
572:
570:
568:
566:
564:
560:
556:
550:
548:
546:
544:
542:
540:
538:
536:
534:
532:
530:
528:
524:
517:
512:
509:
506:
502:
501:social bandit
498:
497:Eric Hobsbawm
495:
494:
490:
488:
486:
482:
478:
474:
470:
466:
465:
459:
457:
453:
452:Orazio Strano
448:
442:
441:
436:
431:
427:
425:
421:
416:
414:
405:
403:
400:
396:
394:
390:
389:Porto Azzurro
381:
374:
372:
365:
363:
359:
355:
351:
348:
339:
335:
333:
322:
318:
316:
312:
308:
299:
294:
289:
287:
285:
284:
279:
275:
271:
266:
264:
263:
252:
248:
246:
242:
233:
231:
229:
224:
222:
218:
217:
211:
208:
207:
198:
196:
192:
190:
182:
180:
177:
173:
169:
165:
161:
157:
148:
144:
140:
136:
132:
125:
121:
118:
115:
111:
110:
108:
104:
100:
96:
92:
88:
84:
80:
78:Resting place
76:
71:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
43:
39:
32:
27:
20:
1015:(in Italian)
1006:(in Italian)
997:(in Italian)
960:
943:
939:
931:
927:
919:
915:
907:
903:
895:
891:
883:
879:
871:
867:
844:
819:
796:
774:
743:
707:
683:
658:
654:
649:
618:
587:
554:
504:
484:
472:
462:
460:
456:Mino Reitano
449:
445:
438:
423:
419:
417:
409:
401:
397:
386:
375:Imprisonment
369:
360:
356:
352:
344:
328:
319:
303:
295:Second trial
281:
267:
262:picciotteria
260:
257:
245:Saint Joseph
241:patron saint
237:
225:
214:
212:
206:picciotteria
204:
202:
193:
186:
163:
159:
155:
154:
112:22 years of
1039:1956 deaths
1034:1876 births
283:Carabinieri
86:Nationality
1028:Categories
874:, 508–516.
518:References
274:Acqualagna
183:Early life
114:hard labor
775:The Times
659:1899–1908
307:Catanzaro
172:folk hero
491:See also
332:epilepsy
176:Calabria
507:, 1959)
366:Verdict
315:Tuscany
276:, near
168:brigand
162:or the
134:Escaped
89:Italian
72:, Italy
967:
750:
594:
422:, and
413:legend
278:Urbino
228:Gerace
126:(1902)
116:(1898)
816:(PDF)
704:(PDF)
467:, by
311:Lucca
56:Italy
965:ISBN
799:, 1.
748:ISBN
592:ISBN
454:and
393:Elba
170:and
63:Died
41:Born
872:181
475:by
219:of
1030::
951:^
870:,
866:.
853:^
843:.
828:^
818:.
804:^
783:^
773:.
762:^
716:^
706:.
691:^
667:^
626:^
617:.
606:^
562:^
526:^
487:.
479:.
458:.
313:,
243:,
54:,
50:,
973:.
756:.
710:.
600:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
