Mafia hitmen gun down convicted mobster, his girlfriend and her two-year-old son after forcing them off the road in high speed chase
The target of the hit was Cosimo Orlando, 43, who was a convicted criminal
The child, Domenico, was travelling with mother Carla Maria Fornari, 30
Opened fire with machine guns riddling the car with bullets
Amazingly two other children inside survived and are now under protection
By NICK PISA

Mafia hitmen have shot dead a convicted mobster, his girlfriend and her two-year-old son after forcing them off the road in high speed chase.
Target Cosimo Orlando, 43, with travelling in a car with his new partner Carla Maria Fornari, 30 and her son Domenico.
The trio were killed instantly after hitmen forced their car off the road and then opened fire with machine guns riddling it with bullets - amazingly two other children inside survived.
The child, named as Domenico, was travelling in a car with his mother Carla Maria Fornari, 30 and her new partner and target Cosimo Orlando, 43 +4

The hit happened at Palagiano, near Taranto, in the southern Italian region of Puglia - popular with British holidaymakers - and in the heartland of the local mafia known as the Sacra Corona Unita.


Police said that Orlando had been released on parole after being convicted of a double murder in 1998 which was linked to rivalry over lucrative drugs markets.
While Fornari's first husband and father of the three children, Domenico Petruzzelli, himself a known mobster was murdered three years ago.
Mafia hitmen have shot dead a convicted mobster, his girlfriend and her two-year-old son after forcing them off the road in high speed chase

She was driving the car, while Orlando was sat in the front seat with her three year old son on his lap, in the back their were her other two children aged six and seven years old who were unhurt.
All three were killed instantly in the hit which happened late on Monday night and apart from the two children - who are now in police protection - there were no witnesses.
A police spokesman said: 'This was a massacre, simple as that. The child stood no chance and was killed instantly along with his mother and Orlando.
The hit happened at Palagiano, near Taranto, in the southern Italian region of Puglia - popular with British holidaymakers - and in the heartland of the local mafia known as the Sacra Corona Unita +4
The hit happened at Palagiano, near Taranto, in the southern Italian region of Puglia - popular with British holidaymakers - and in the heartland of the local mafia known as the Sacra Corona Unita

'We are investigating all possibilities - although we believe that Orlando was probably the intended target we have to remember that his partner was also married to a murdered criminal.
'There could be several motives revenge or drugs both Orlando and Petruzzelli had connections to drugs trafficking and they were both involved with organised crime.
'The only witnesses are the two children who are in a secret location with police and hopefully they will be able to give us some clues.'
It is not the first time that children have been innocent victims as a result of mob hits - earlier this year another three year old boy was murdered after gunmen targeted a car he was travelling in killing two men as well.
Police revealed Domenico, was named after his father who was shot dead three months before he was born.
They said he was two and a half adding that he would have turned three in August.
The other two children were named as Mauro, seven and Davide, six.
Laura Gioia, the headteacher of the primary school they attended, said:'We must now think of them, all our thoughts are with Mauro and Davide. They are two lovely boys and so was little Domenico.
'The whole family has been marred by tragedy, first the father, now the mother and her youngest child. We must protect them from the terrible memories that they will have and that will probably never leave them.'
Today even the Italian PM Matteo Renzi expressed his shock at the killings saying:'This is a painful atrocity and I feel it first as a father and then as premier,' adding that he had been in touch with Taranto's police chief for a full briefing on the shootings.
'I think Carla was killed because she was going out with Orlando. She was killed because of who she knew and who she was seeing'

Mayor Gaetano Tarasco
Rosy Bindi, president of the Italian parliament anti mafia commission, said:'This slaughter at Taranto with the murder of a child, shows even if it were still necessary the brutality of mafia violence, they know no morals.
'This is confirmation that there is no mafia code and it has never existed. They have always killed, even women and children. I hope that those responsible are caught quickly as well as those that ordered this slaughter. This murders must be stopped and punished quickly.
'My thought go also to the two children who escaped this slaughter. Now they must have the support of the institutional authorities to rebuild their lives as quickly as possible to guarantee them some sort of future and normal life, avoiding that they are conditioned by crime.'
The interior minister Angelinio Alfano deployed 60 extra officers to the area to help in the hunt for the killers and ensure law and order was maintained.
Local priest father Francesco Zito, of Pagliano, who knew the victims said: 'There are no words to describe this. I am not going to get involved in the background of their private lives - an adult can make a mistake and answer to his conscience but a two and a half year old child ? There is no need to comment further.'
Mayor Gaetano Tarasco said:'I think Carla was killed because she was going out with Orlando. She was killed because of who she knew and who she was seeing.
'There was nothing about her linked to organised crime - her children were her life. This is a painful act, ferocious act which has claimed innocent victims and leaves the town a little worried. Drugs are an increasing problem here and in the surrounding area and we need more police.'
Locals in the town also said that Carla had testified against the two men who had killed her husband and who had been jailed for life prompting speculation that may also have been a motive.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...l#ixzz2wOoqXSOR
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Italy reinforces police after mafia hit on toddler

By Associated Press, Published: March 18
ROME — Italy’s interior minister has ordered 60 police reinforcements into southern Italy after an apparent mafia hit in which assailants opened fire on a car carrying three little boys, killing a 2-year-old.

The boys’ mother and her companion were also fatally gunned down late Monday near Taranto, in the “heel” of boot-shaped Italy. News reports said the slain toddler was in the front seat on one of the adults’ laps while his surviving older brothers were sitting in the backseat and were unharmed by the spray of bullets.

In a statement Tuesday, Interior Minister Angelino Alfano described the hit as a “settling of scores” and pledged that the police reinforcements would give a “quick and concrete response to an event of unprecedented cruelty.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

'Men of honor.'

What a joke.

Stupid for her she didn't learn her lesson the first time when her mafioso husband was murdered. She had to get with another one.

Fuckin disgusting , they must be thick as fuck in Italy , wen r they gonna realise killing politicians cops woman and kids is not just in humane but bad for business , they r gonna have the full resources of law enforcement brought down on them , nobody will be earning after this

Most ignorant thing I read in a long time.

Why is this ignorant ?? I think it's disgusting that anyone harms woman and children , I've got 3 kids of my own

It's ignorant to say they're going to have the full resources of the law come down on them and nobody will be earning after this.

It was plain STUPID for this woman, who already had one husband (and father of her children) killed for being the target of a mafia hit, that she would then do the same with a new man (mafioso and killer with a target on his head) by riding around in a car with him and her kids.

Yeah carmela I agree with u on that 100% , not the wisest move . All I was saying the mob as an enterprise will be screwed if they carry on with there barbaric ways , they have always been criminals but likeable criminals because of the rules they have , doin this sort of thing shatters all that

remember wikileaks America said southern Italy is a failed state. something like the cartels down south.

But this has happened before , it's nothing new just horrible none the less. That's why your comment was considered ignorant

Not to be too graphic but these murders were pretty tame compared to many of the murders that went down during Riina's tenure. What Giovanni Brusca did to that little boy was much more horrible. At least these three people were not tortured. .

take the "south" away from it: the failed state…it's expanding northbound.

No offense Dom but i gotta agree with Carmela about this comment, a little over a month ago there was a similar situation where a little kid got killed along with his mobster dad, you know the one wherethey all got burnt up in the car. Well after that there was all this outrage and talk of crack downs and now a month later its pretty much all but forgotten,

But like Antonio said, this is all nothing new. It's been going on forever. Some women and children are just casualties, like the ones in this article, and then there's the cases of Giuseppe Di Matteo, who Gingello mentioned, that was used as a pawn.
But there's so many that are never heard about unless you're reading italian papers. One 2 year old had a bullet mailed to him at his home as a way of threatening his father...it goes on and on. Nothing new. I don't care what anyone says, there is no such thing over there as no women/children. If they're in the way, they're gonna get hurt. If they can be used as a threat or an act of revenge, they will.

dom, your posts about the american mob are usually spot on, that's what you blokes over there say right? thing is, as most people know who follow mainland italian OC even a little bit is that it's a totally different game over there. the full resources of law enforcement have long ago been brought down, there is no "don't kill cops, judges, women or children" doctrine entertained over there. there are no rules on both sides. corruption over there "goes down a treat"

I must admit I'm not as familiar with the sicillian mob as I am there American counterparts , I take it in Italy corruption rules ? It seems pretty lawless if people r shooting woman and kids and nothing is really being done about it , thanks for the comments I've took them on board

it's not that nothing has been done about it. just because they don't get the bad guy pronto like in a CSI episode it doesn't mean that they don't give a fuck.
Got it?

Just not so long ago they nabbed Antonio Cuccaro, a camorra clan boss, who was among the 100 most wanted list. Wanted for being the one who called a hit on a witness (a lady). So….

And just like him they're working their butts off to secure many others to justice.

With the limited resources (compared to their american/european counterparts) the Italian police forces have they are still one of the best in the West, when it comes to OC.

Elected officials' agendas and an overly mobbed up population make things way harder for them.

but with that being said, they're doing a heck of a good job. regardless.

Italian police's corruption is also over hyped. sure it's there but not as much as some argue.