The former Sicilian hitman, who killed fashion tycoon Maurizio Gucci in 1995, allegedly shot his 37-year-old son in the face before turning the gun on himself on Tuesday, The New York Post reported.
Caltanissetta native Benedetto Ceraulo, 63, was spending the Easter holidays hosting relatives at his house in Pisa, Italy, where the incident took place, according to the Italian newspaper La Stampa.
Ceraulo shot his son Gaetano in the face with a small-calibre handgun to settle a family dispute in his Santa Maria a Monte residence before turning the gun on himself in a desperate attempt to end his own life.
According to local reports, he reportedly tried to die by suicide in the front garden of his residence.
Despite his wounds, Gaetano managed to escape and drove around 300 meters to a local bar in a town in the neighbouring province of Valdinievole. He was taken to the hospital by first responders.
Emergency personnel rushed to the location and admitted both individuals to nearby hospitals. Gaetano was sent to Lotti Hospital in Pontedera and Ceraulo was brought to Cisanello Hospital in Pisa.
Despite its severity, Gaetano’s injuries were not life-threatening, and he was expected to undergo surgery. His father, Ceraulo, remains critical at Pisa’s Cisanello Hospital.
Carabinieri authorities are investigating the incident, and the dispute’s motivation is yet unknown. There were no witnesses to the dispute, and it is unclear what led to such a violent altercation.
Having a notorious past, Ceraulo killed Maurizio Gucci on March 27, 1995, on the orders of his ex-wife, Patrizia Reggiani.
Gucci, 46, was shot four times in Milan as part of a murder plot hatched by a number of people, including Ceraulo, who was believed to be the crime’s material executor.
According to La Stampa, Ceraulo was given semi-liberty in 2023, provided he took part in a social reintegration scheme.
He was released from prison two years ago after spending 28 years for the widely recognised crime, and he had been trying to start over.
Known as the “Black Widow,” Reggiani was given a 29-year prison term in 1998 but was released in 2016 after serving 18 years.
Ceraulo tried to improve his life after being released from prison and became passionate about viticulture. These efforts at reinvention, however, have been clouded by the current shooting incident.
