Kriti Mehrotra
Directed by Stefano Sollima, Netflix’s ‘Monster of Florence’ is a limited drama series that delves deep into the true story of Italy’s most notorious serial killer case, wherein 16 individuals lost their lives. Between 1968 and 1985, a single man allegedly committed eight double homicides using a .22 caliber Beretta pistol, leading to one of Italy’s longest and most complex criminal investigations. Unfortunately, the case remains unsolved to this day, but several suspects have come to light over time. Amongst them was Giovanni Mele, a Sardinian local who allegedly fit the profile.
Giovanni Mele Reportedly Had His Fair Share of Peculiarities
Born on August 30, 1923, in Fordongianus, in Sardinia, Italy, to Pietrina Mele and Palmerio Mele, Giovanni Mele reportedly grew up in a big, tight-knit yet conservative household. According to reports, he was primarily raised alongside two siblings and two half-siblings, all of whom reportedly pulled their weight at home and did their best for their family. Giovanni, in particular, though, was an entrepreneur after having moved to Castellina in 1952. He had reportedly eventually opened a shoe shop, only to be joined by his parents and his siblings in 1958.
As per the limited series, Giovanni was an intimidating figure, and he was genuinely furious when his father sold their family home after the wedding of his younger half-sibling Stefano Mele to Barbara Locci. The fact that some sum of the money was allegedly used to buy the couple their own home didn’t sit well with him either, and nor did her subsequent affairs in the open. In fact, according to the show, he believed she was ruining the family name and tarnishing their reputation by her actions – a sentiment he reportedly never hid from Stefano or any other family member.
Therefore, when Barbara Locci was shot to death on August 21, 1968, alongside her then-lover, Antonio Lo Bianco, while her son was in the backseat, several questions were raised. Stefano reportedly confessed to this double murder and served 6 years in prison, but all the while, other Monster of Florence murders continued happening. It was only in the 1980s that officials shifted their focus to Giovanni Mele, reportedly after a woman came forward to claim that he had seemed obsessed with the serial killer and had allegedly tried to force himself on her during their date.
That’s when officials discovered the extent of the Mele family dynamics and the fact that Giovanni had found work in the province of Mantua in August 1968, not far from the murders. In the end, officials ended up arresting both Giovanni and his brother-in-law, Piero Mucciarini, on suspicion of murder, thinking they could be working together to commit the double homicides. However, when another couple was killed while they were in custody in the summer of 1984, they were released by the police and subsequently cleared of any suspicion or wrongdoing in this matter.
Giovanni Mele Never Moved Away From His Family or His Homeland
Despite having relocated within Italy several times for his career, Giovanni was reportedly never too far from his family or loved ones because they were his core support system. From what we can tell, he spent the majority of his adult life working at a company called Gubela, which manufactured road signs, and proudly served there until it came time for him to retire in the 1980s. Then, once all matters regarding his alleged involvement in the Monster of Florence case came to an end, he reportedly returned to his hometown of Sardinia to live with his beloved sister, Maria Mele.
According to records, Giovanni Mele never married or had children, so his parents and his siblings were his primary source of comfort. They likely had their own internal issues, just like any other family, but they were seemingly also each other’s biggest supporters. As per the show, they always wanted to do what was best for one another and the family as a whole, which, unfortunately, often led to more issues for them. Coming to Giovanni’s current standing, he actually chose to remain well away from the limelight after the incidents of the 1980s. In fact, it was to such an extent that it’s unclear if he’s even still based in Sardinia or has since passed away. If he is alive, he would be 102 years old as of writing, but some areas of Italy are known to have a much higher life expectancy than average, so it is possible.
Read More: Francesco Vinci: How Did the Monster of Florence Suspect Die?
