1981
October 19, Milan
Carlo Buonantuono, 27 years old, Public Security guard
Vincenzo Tumminello, 27 years old, Public Security guard
Alongside the robberies, the tough members of the NAR continued their campaign to annihilate the “infamous” and the “enemies.” After the killing of De Luca, ordered by Alibrandi, and Pizzari, invoked by Vale and Soderini, this time it was Cavallini’s turn to demand “his” revenge. The target was a long-time Milanese neo-fascist: Giorgio Muggiani, a former MSI leader, a member of the commando led by Domenico Leccisi, who in April 1946 took away Mussolini’s remains from the cemetery of Musocco. But the “heroic” times were just a distant memory. The present was quite different. Cavallini accused Muggiani of having sold him and his group out after the killing of the left-wing student Gaetano Amoroso in Milan in ’76. Moreover, as we have seen, even Quex labeled him as an “infamous.” It was time to punish him. Thus, Gigi went up to Milan, accompanied by Alibrandi and by Walter Sordi, who had become “Alì Babà’s” right-hand man since the Lebanon days. But while the three, in a stolen BMW, were circling around Muggiani’s house, something unexpected happened.
The dynamics of the assault
At the wheel was Alibrandi, with Cavallini by his side functioning as the navigator, being the only Milanese among the three and knowing the city. Behind them was Sordi. “Alì Babà” realized they were being followed by an undercover police car and warned the other two. He was convinced that the officers were suspicious of something and that they would stop them in a few moments. It was better to act first and try everything. Suddenly he slammed on the brakes and opened the door. He jumped out and attacked the Alfasud number 51 of the Digos of Milan. He wielded two pistols and fired with both at the driver, Carlo Buonantuono, killing him with four shots. But the other two officers, Vincenzo Tumminello, seated next to Buonantuono, and Franco Epifanio, in the back seat, reacted and fired back. Cavallini and Sordi also fired at Tumminello. He was massacred with four shots from a .357 Magnum and died instantly; Epifanio, wounded, managed to get out of the car and flee, chased by Cavallini and Sordi. A passerby was also seriously injured in the shootout. But by then, Epifanio was far away, so the two terrorists turned back. Sordi approached the undercover car, took the M12 submachine gun lying on the back seat, and shot another bullet into Buonantuono’s head, who was slumped in the driver’s seat. Then they fled: with Cavallini at the wheel, Sordi beside him, and Alibrandi in the back.
Francesca Mambro’s testimony
Let’s hear from Francesca Mambro:
That shootout was absolutely random. That morning, the three of them were waiting for a person who was an enemy of Cavallini’s. Suddenly, a Digos car spotted them. Maybe they recognized one of them, or perhaps they were suspicious of the car they were traveling in. In any case, they were obviously skilled and sharp agents, and they sensed they had fugitives in front of them. So they decided to follow them. When they returned to Rome, the three told me everything. On that occasion, it was Alessandro who saved them from arrest. He was quick and ready. He suddenly braked, got out, and, having a powerful pistol like the 92, immediately fired at the agents. The three hastily left Milan and returned to Rome by train because another action was ready, again against the police: by now, it was open war between the NAR and the anti-terrorism forces.