A Rome mafia boss was given a
send-off to remember on Thursday as rose petals were thrown from
a helicopter and an orchestra played the theme tune of the
celebrated mobster film The Godfather.
Vittorio Casamonica, 65, was a prominent member of the
Casamonica clan, which has been held responsible for drug
trafficking, racketeering and prostitution in the area southeast
of Rome.
His lavish funeral sparked widespread criticism with the
chairman of the ruling Democratic Party (PD), Matteo Orfini, who
is also PD Rome commissioner, tweeting "Never again. Rome cannot
be defaced by those who would like to turn it into a Godfather
set".
The funeral was held Thursday morning in Don Bosco church,
on the outskirts of the capital. The coffin arrived in
a black carriage with gilded bas-reliefs, drawn by six black
horses. To welcome him, an orchestra played the theme song of
the famous Francis Ford Coppola film.
An image of Padre Pio adorned his coffin while posters with
slogans such as "You have conquered Rome, now conquer heaven"
and "Vittorio Casamonica king of Rome" appeared in front of the
parish church.
They portrayed Casamonica with a crown on his head and with
the Colosseum and the dome of St Peter's in the background.
A large crowd of people turned up to bid him farewell. "He
was a good person," mourners said as they gathered at the end of
the mass.
After the service, the coffin was taken from the church in
a Rolls-Royce and the band played the soundtrack of another
famous film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
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