1976

April 7, Rome
Mario Salvi, 21 years old, student

On April 7, 1976, Mario Salvi, a member of the Proletary Committee of Primavalle, a structure of the 21-year-old Roman Operarian Autonomy, participated in a demonstration of protest against the decision of the Cassation to confirm the conviction of the anarchist Marini for the murder of the neofascist from Salerno Carlo Falvella.

A group of militants of the Autonomous Workers’ Committees detaches itself from the garrison of Piazza Cavour to attack the Ministry of Grace and Justice in Via Arenula: some Molotov cocktails are thrown towards the back side of the building. Some officers launch themselves in pursuit of the protesters.

In via degli Specchi, now far from the place of the attack, the custodiant Domenico Velluto, opens fire, killing a young man, Mario Salvi, hit in the back of the neck. The official version speaks of a man fleeing but dry is the denial of the comrades of the Roman Autonomy. On April 8, the Autonomous Workers Committees of Rome, released a document on the death of Mario Salvi in which it reads: “Agent Veluto with the gun in his hand has traveled hundreds of meters along the roads leading to Campo de’ Fiori, in search of a victim to shoot cold calmly. In fact, when he shot, no one was running away: our partner was shot while walking […]”

On April 15, 1976, Officer Velluto was arrested for pre-intentional murder. In August, the officer is released from prison for health reasons and for manifesting ‘sincere repentance’. In July ’77, the Court of Assizes definitively acquitted him ‘for the legitimate use of weapons’.