1979

February 23, Barzanò (CO)
Rosario Scalia, 27, security guard

It was the year 1979, it was February 23. In Barzanò, a security guard of just 27 years old, was slaughtered by the revolutionary Communist Committees. Scenario of the bloody news event, the Banca Agricola Milanese, branch of Via Manara.

A bad story now wrapped in the dusty folds of the memory of those who, that morning, heard the deafening noise of the numerous gunshots that pierced the chest of the young man originally from Sicily, but residing with his wife and two little children in Nibionno.

Rosario Scalia worked for the Lombardy Vedetta of Como. The tragedy was consumed in a few minutes and the dynamic was so controversial that not even the carabinieri were ever able to clarify it with certainty.

Because the bandits, in fact, killed the vigilantes, then went a long way without removing anything. It was just past 1 p.m. of what, at least on the surface, seemed like a quiet morning. A crowded Friday at the counters of the branch located in front of the Barcelona town hall (today still present under the BPM logo).

At 1 p.m., however, it was close to closing and there were few customers in the bank. Rosario, eager to quickly get off the service to reach his beloved children Francesca and Sebastiano and his wife Agata, who left by train for Giarre, their hometown, had entered the bank to sign the register of presence.

Positioned next to the cash desk, next to a colleague, the guard was approached by an alleged customer about to change a banknote.

But in a matter of seconds, everything unfortunately took a dramatic turn. As soon as Rosario turned around, the bandit pulled out a gun, trying to immobilize him, but he, regardless of the danger, reacted by throwing himself at the rival who in the meantime hit him in the chest with two gunshots.

Fallen to the ground the security guard still found the strength to defend himself. Unnecessarily: the bandit and his accomplices killed him with four more shots of a 9-caliber pistol. Then, they ran away without stealing anything. A quiet, freezing February morning turned into a nightmare scenario in a few minutes.

Citizens, traders and curious people, filled the Piazza Barzano, astonished and incredulous in the face of so much violence.