Argentine Criminal Sentenced to Life for the Murder of Notorious Roman Ultra Leader
On Tuesday, Raul Esteban Calderon, known as Francisco, an Argentine with an extensive criminal background, received a life sentence for the murder of Fabrizio Piscitelli, famously known as Diabolik, who was the leader of Lazio's ultra fans. Piscitelli was shot dead on August 7, 2019, while sitting on a bench in Acquedotti Park, located in the Appio Claudio district of Rome.
The prosecution revealed that Piscitelli's murder was commissioned, although the individual's identity remains unknown, as part of a power struggle over the control of the vast Roman drug trade. This drug market is the largest in Italy and has drawn the interest of various criminal organizations, with Piscitelli being an active participant. Despite the prosecution's request to apply the aggravating factor of mafia involvement in the case, the judges did not recognize it.
Calderon was already incarcerated prior to this verdict, having been arrested in December 2021. Furthermore, in November 2024, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in the first instance for the murder of Selavdi Shehaj, which occurred on September 20, 2020, under similar circumstances as the murder of Piscitelli.
In February of this year, Calderon was also convicted on appeal for attempting to murder brothers Emanuele and Alessio Costantino. The evidence against him in Piscitelli's murder largely relied on surveillance camera footage from the scene of the crime, showing Calderon arriving disguised as a runner. Additionally, eyewitness testimonies, including that of his former partner, contributed to the case against him.
Moreover, the trial unveiled Calderon's real identity, which is Gustavo Alejandro Musumeci, further complicating the narrative surrounding his criminal enterprises. The Rome Prosecutor's Office provided a thorough reconstruction of the motivations and events leading up to the murder of Piscitelli.
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