New streaming miniseries revives one of Italy’s darkest and most mysterious criminal cases, still unsolved after more than 50 years
The Monster of Florencea four-episode miniseries that delves into the hunt for Italy’s most famous (and enigmatic) serial killer — a criminal who terrorized couples between the 60s and 80s, leaving a trail of fear and mystery that persists to this day — is now available in the Netflix catalog. But who was the serial killer?
What is the story of the Monster of Florence?
Directed by Stefano Sollima (Suburra) and created alongside Leonardo Fasolithe production recreates the investigations that tried, unsuccessfully, to capture the perpetrator of the eight double murders recorded between 1968 and 1985 on the outskirts of Florence. The victims were generally young couples attacked at night, in isolated locations, while they sought privacy in their cars. The crime scenes exhibited a brutal and ritualistic pattern — men were killed first, and women were mutilated with cruelty.
The investigators soon realized that all the crimes were linked to the same weapon: a .22 caliber Beretta pistol, with H series cartridges. Then the figure of “Il Mostro di Firenze”, the Monster of Florence, emerged. Over the decades, several men were named as suspects, including Stefano Mele, a Sardinian factory worker convicted of a double homicide in 1968 — a crime that would later be linked to the “Monster” series of murders. Other names, such as the Vinci brothers and Giovanni Mele, were also investigated, generating a web of accusations, contradictions and injustices.
The series features four such suspects, each episode telling the story of a man who, at one point, was treated as a possible killer. The focus is not only to discover “who killed”, but also to reveal the flaws in the investigation and the Italian judicial system, which ended up destroying lives without ever solving the case.
In addition to police investigations, The Monster of Florence it also explores the impact of crimes on Italian society and the press, marked by decades of fear, conspiracy theories and sensationalist headlines. There is talk of satanic sects, secret societies and even macabre rituals — elements that made the case a true police labyrinth.
After all, who was the Monster of Florence?
More than half a century later, the enigma remains. No culprit has been officially identified, and to this day new DNA analyzes and judicial reviews are trying to reopen the case. To Sollimathis is precisely the point that makes the story so disturbing: “I don’t know if the ‘Monster’ was captured or if the investigators got close to him, but they didn’t know. The important thing is to narrate all versions”, stated the director.
READ ALSO: Who was Lizzie Borden, the woman who will inspire the new season of Netflix’s ‘Monster’
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netflix
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The Monster of Florence
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
