Casefile True Crime - Case 234: Franca Viola

Episode Date: December 3, 2022

In 1963, on the Italian island of Sicily, a wealthy young bachelor named Filippo Melodia began a courtship with a teenager named Franca Viola, much to the displeasure of Franca's father... --- Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Holly Boyd Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn Sign up for Casefile Premium: Apple Premium Spotify Premium Patreon This episode's sponsors: SimpliSafe – Get 40% off any new security system Noom Weight – The last weight loss program you’ll need. Start your trial today Best Fiends – Download Best Fiends for free ShipStation – Try ShipStation FREE for 60 days with promo code ‘CASEFILE’ Pseudocide – New podcast from Casefile Presents about the disappearance of Patrick McDermott For all credits and sources, please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-234-franca-viola

Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local Crisis Centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. Like many girls growing up in southern Italy in the early 60s, Seraphina Lococco was expected to marry young and start a family of her own. By age 15, Seraphina had chosen the man she wanted to be her future husband, a 20-year-old daughter leather cutter from her neighborhood named Pietro Santoro.

In contrast to socially progressive northern Italy, those on the island of Sicily still clung to the ancient belief that a girl's worth was measured by her chasteness. If she was a virgin before marriage, she was considered pure and worthy. If not, she was seen as shameful and immoral. No Sicilian man would marry what they judged a dishonoured woman. They feared her dishonour would jeopardise the family standing in the community and damage the marriage prospects of other female family members. Accordingly, Sicilian girls and young women were required to dress modestly and weren't

permitted to socially interact with unmarried men. Court ships between young couples were strictly controlled by their families, and in Seraphina Lococco's case, her father did not like Pietro Santoro. Without his approval, there would be no marriage. One day in the summer of 1962, Pietro and Seraphina performed what was known as a fuetina, an elopement of sorts. They spent a week together hidden in the countryside, and upon her return home, Seraphina informed her father that she was now a dishonoured woman.

Her father understood the situation before him. His own honour, that of his family name, and of both his daughters, was at stake. Despite his ill feelings toward Pietro, Seraphina's father felt he had no choice. According to Sicilian culture dating back millennia, the dishonour could be entirely undone, repaired and restored by the matrimonio reparatore, the marriage between the girl and her lover. About 12 months later, another Sicilian man, 23-year-old Filippo Melodia, set his eyes on the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

In the northwestern Sicilian town of Alcamo, many locals believed that Franca Viola's beauty was destined to lift her family out of poverty. Despite all the fanfare regarding her looks, Franca was an unassuming 15-year-old. She aspired to complete her education, live a comfortable life and travel the world. She also dreamed of falling in love. Unlike Franca Viola, whose family were poor farmers, Filippo Melodia was born into wealth. He was the nephew of the undisputed boss of the Casa Nostra, the Sicilian mafia. Filippo enjoyed all of the privileges that such an association offered.

He drove around town in a white alpha Romeo Giulietta and spent his money freely, buying rounds of drinks for his friends at the bar almost daily. Given Alcamo was a stronghold for the Sicilian mafia, Filippo's position as a future leader was assured. With his money, good looks and status, Filippo was one of the town's most eligible bachelors. Yet, he only had eyes for Franca Viola. The pair had made an impact on each other as they exchanged glances and greetings around town.

Franca had formed the belief that there was a decent husband hidden behind Filippo's flashy exterior and told her parents that she would be open to a courtship with him. Franca's father, Bernardo, was well aware of Filippo Melodia. He'd heard the many stories of Filippo terrorizing the neighborhoods of Alcamo, speeding through the narrow streets in his Giulietta and flashing around his 9mm pistol. Bernardo was also aware that the local police had their eye on Filippo. As a hard-working, honest and humble man, Bernardo Viola had little respect for the young mafia also.

Years after Franca told her father about her growing feelings for Filippo, he arrived at the Viola house to introduce himself to her family and begin the courtship process. Once inside, Filippo announced his intention to be engaged to Franca. Bernardo was not easily intimidated. He wanted his daughter to marry a man who would take good care of her. Filippo retorted that there was no better man in Alcamo. Bernardo then implied that he would prefer Franca marry a man who worked for a living. Filippo was insulted by the remark, but remained quiet.

Eventually, Bernardo broke the silence. Franca herself had expressed an interest in Filippo, so Bernardo was willing to consider an engagement between them on one condition. They got to know each other first. Filippo was not the type to take orders from someone he considered a peasant, and he wouldn't have tolerated such disrespect for any other girl. But he wanted Franca Viola as his wife, so he was willing to do as her father asked. The following week, Filippo and Franca sat side by side on a sofa inside the Viola house

under the watchful eye of Franca's mother, Vita. Franca was initially charmed by Filippo, who confessed to Franca that he was crazy about her. However, after a number of months, Franca realized that she didn't harbor any romantic feelings for Filippo. She boasted constantly of his family's wealth, his car, and his connections to the mafia. He was also being looked into for a string of motorcycle thefts. Filippo had scoffed at Franca's plans for the future, insisting that she should be

satisfied simply by becoming his wife. Franca had glimpsed what her life with Filippo melodia would be like, and she was not impressed. The next time Filippo called at the Viola house, Franca didn't appear. Instead, her father informed the young man that he had failed his test. Without Bernardo's approval, Franca and Filippo's marriage would not go ahead. For the whole of 1964, the Viola family did not hear a word from Filippo melodia. After having been rejected by Franca and her father, Filippo had left Sicily and spent the year in Germany to save face.

By early 1965, the atmosphere in Alcamo had changed. Many high-ranking Martbioso, including Filippo's uncle, had been arrested. The Costa Nostra no longer had the same stranglehold over the town. Those who remained free kept a low profile, wary of Alcamo's new police commissioner, Lorenzo Camilleri. Upon his return to Alcamo, Filippo was keen to pick up where he left off. He wanted what he thought was owed to him, the Martbioso lifestyle, and Franca Viola. His desire for her had only intensified during his absence.

In early May 1965, Filippo spied Bernardo Viola in town and approached him. In a callback to their first conversation, Filippo told Bernardo that he had been working while living in Germany, hoping to impress the older man. Bernardo replied, It was not a thing before, and it is not a thing now. Franca has not missed you, and she can find a better husband than you. A few weeks later, on Friday, May 28, Bernardo arrived at his farm, only to find the warehouse where he kept his farming tools on fire. Upon discovering several empty petrol cans around the building, Bernardo headed into

town to report the arson to the police. On the way, he crossed paths with Filippo Melodia. The young man smiled, as if in triumph. Later that evening, Bernardo was given the message, the fire was just a warning. Two months later, 500 vines were prematurely cut and destroyed on the Viola farm. This was a devastating financial blow to the family, whose entire income was derived from their harvest. They would just have to make do with the remaining crops.

However, by October, these two had been destroyed. Bernardo had arrived to find sheep and cattle grazing in his field. There was nothing left. The destruction of his warehouse, tools and crops meant that the Viola family would not have any money for the coming year. When winter arrived, they would be forced to turn to public charity for food to eat. Bernardo maintained a cheerful public facade, but privately, he was humiliated. The following day, Filippo Melodia and two of his friends arrived at Bernardo's farm.

Filippo informed Bernardo that he must forfeit his farming land within three days. He then lifted his shirt to reveal a 9mm pistol tucked into his waistband. There was no question that Filippo was responsible for the damage to the Viola farm, but without any proof, there was nothing the police could do. Meanwhile, Franca Viola had become so terrified of Filippo that she barely left her home in fear of what he'd do next. On Christmas Day, Filippo Melodia gathered his crew. Let Franca enjoy mass with her family, he told his boys.

Tomorrow, they would ride. At 7am on Sunday, December 26, 1965, two men on a scooter slowly rode down the narrow streets of central Alcamo. They turned into Via Ro Rancho, passing the near-identical sandstone-coloured buildings that lined the street until they reached number 41. They idled in place for a moment before moving a little further away to an acceptable vantage point. Eventually, they saw a short, slightly-paunched man in a flat cap and jacket leave the building.

Once he was out of sight, the scooter's engine buzzed and the two men hurriedly disappeared. About 30 minutes later, a blue Fiat Secento and a white Alfa Romeo Giulietta screeched to a halt outside number 41. Several gunshots were fired into the air as a warning to residents to stay inside and mind their business. Twelve masked and armed men then piled out of the cars and forced their way inside the Viola home. Vita Viola screamed for her daughter to run, knowing the men had come to take Franca away.

Vita tried to fight them off, but they knocked her down and kept her pinned to the ground. Franca rushed upstairs, only to be chased down by four men who dragged her back down and out the front door. Franca's eight-year-old brother Mariano clung to her legs, refusing to let go even when he was struck over and over. Franca and Mariano were thrown into the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. After the car doors slammed shut, the two men who were still inside the house released their grip on Vita, who immediately ran outside after her children.

Before she could reach the car, she was punched in the head from behind and fell to the ground. A dozen more gunshots were fired into the air before the Giulietta and Secento sped away. Bernardo Viola returned home as quickly as he could and reported the kidnapping of Franca and Mariano to Commissioner Lorenzo Camilleri. Vita Viola knew for certain who had kidnapped her children. Although he'd been wearing a mask, Vita had locked eyes with Filippo Melodia as he dragged Franca away. Despite knowing who was responsible, Bernardo and Vita were at a loss.

In the memory of Filippo's mafia connections, the couple's neighbours refused to offer assistance or information. Fortunately for the Violas, Commissioner Lorenzo Camilleri wasn't one to just sit around and wait. He immediately began searching for Franca. Filippo Melodia sped away from Alcamo and into the countryside. With him, Franca and Mariano Viola clung tightly to one another in the back seat. Filippo told Franca that after he was done with her, she would not be able to marry any

other man but him. In defiance, she shouted that she did not love him. Filippo laughed and retorted, who cares? The Giulietta eventually came to a stop in front of a remote farmhouse. Eight-year-old Mariano was pried away from his sister and driven back towards Alcamo. He was later found abandoned on the outskirts of town. Meanwhile, Franca was dragged inside the farmhouse screaming, but there was nobody around to hear her cries for help.

For six days, she was starved, taunted and insulted by Filippo Melodia. By the seventh day, Franca was weak. She lay on the floor, semi-conscious and barely able to move. Filippo then raped her for the first time. He knew under any circumstances where an unmarried girl or young woman loses her virginity, even in the case of rape, she would become a shamed woman. The dishonour to herself and her family could then only be repaired through the matrimonio reparatore.

To enact such a fuitina as the one Filippo was doing was most certainly a crime, but Filippo knew the law was on his side. Article 544 of the Criminal Code read, quote, The crimes of kidnap and rape would be extinguished by the marriage between the victim and her rapist. This law applied even if the victim was a minor. At the beginning of January, Filippo covertly relocated Franca from the farmhouse to his sister's house in Alcamo. By this stage, the Melodia family had been in contact with the Viola family and negotiations

were underway. Knowing full well what Filippo was up to with Franca, the two families were nearing an agreement on a wedding date. On Thursday, January 6, 1966, 12 days after Franca Viola was kidnapped, Commissioner Lorenzo Camilleri and his officers had Filippo Melodia's sister's house surrounded. They demanded that Filippo release Franca immediately. There was a commotion from inside the house and then suddenly, two figures appeared on the second story balcony.

Filippo held up a visibly weak Franca Viola in front of him. As the officers leveled their guns at Filippo, Franca shouted, Don't shoot. The police lowered their weapons. Satisfied with this outcome, Filippo agreed to surrender Franca and watched as his teenage captive collapsed into the waiting arms of her father. Filippo offered no resistance when Commissioner Camilleri placed him under arrest. He just smiled broadly and asked for a cigarette. Filippo then looked to Franca in anticipation.

He believed she would insist that he be released and become her husband, as it was the only way she could remedy the disgrace she now brought upon her family as a dishonoured woman. Franca paused in front of Filippo Melodia, looked him in the eyes, and told him, I will never marry you, goodbye. Filippo's smile vanished and the police took him away. Reunited with her family and safely back home, Franca agonized over rumours that her father had agreed for her to be married to Filippo during her time in captivity. Leonardo assured his daughter that the marriage negotiations were just a ruse in order for

Commissioner Camilleri to discover where she was being held. With no marriage planned, Franca's fate and that of her family was uncertain. Vita worried for her daughter's future, but Franca was confident in her decision. She insisted that she would rather remain unmarried her entire life than be married to a man such as Filippo Melodia, a man without honour. In standing her ground, Franca Viola had become the first Sicilian to ever refuse a matrimonio reparatore with her rapist. Bernardo Viola just wanted his daughter to be safe and happy, but he knew that the price

for her resolve would be high. Within the months leading up to Filippo Melodia's trial, life for the Viola family was grim. The earlier destruction of their farm meant that they had little money and food was scarce. Bernardo was desperate to find work, but no one in the town or surrounding villages would hire him. Franca became reclusive, shutting herself inside her home to avoid hostilities and judgement from the public. The Violas were guarded around the clock by police to ensure none of Filippo Melodia's

family or friends followed through on their death threats. Many of the townspeople admired Franca's courage, but they still considered her decision to be ill-advised. They believed that even a girl as pretty as Franca would never find a husband now. Not only was she dishonoured, but she was also poor. During a council meeting for the town of Alcamo, it was proposed that the council stand in solidarity with Franca, her family, and all others who had been bullied. The proposition was unanimously approved, but when one councillor stood up and rhetorically

requested a show of hands as to who among them would be willing to marry any dishonoured woman. No one moved. In December 1966, Franca Viola and her parents arrived at the Trappany Courthouse under armed police escort. Of the 500 or so spectators who packed the courtroom, the vast majority were the family and supporters of Filippo Melodia and his accomplices. The room was powerfully hostile towards the Viola family, who endured the crowd's insults

and death threats. Even their lawyer was met with the jeez and spit. The Violas sat behind the public prosecutor and their own lawyer. On the other side of the room were the lawyers representing each of the accused. All 12 of the defendants, including Filippo Melodia, were present inside the courtroom, locked behind the defendants' bars. Under oath, Filippo Melodia told the court that he and Franca Viola were in love and that her father, Bernardo, had called off their engagement against Franca's wishes.

Filippo said that he and Franca had arranged the Fuitina together in order to force her father's hand. He claimed that they had been consensually intimate many times during their escape, but it was old news, as they had already had sex two years prior during their initial courtship. He elaborated, saying that there were moments during his visits to the Viola house where he and Franca were unsupervised. To prove their client's assertions, Filippo's defense team requested that their medical

expert be granted permission to physically examine Franca Viola in order to prove that she lost her virginity many months or even years prior to the Fuitina. The prosecution vigorously objected to the request, and it was ultimately denied by the court. Filippo also claimed that he and Franca had planned the details of the staged kidnapping the day prior on Christmas Day. In a show of solidarity with his co-accused, Filippo stated that while he had received assistance, none of the other eleven men charged had been present at the time of the phony

kidnapping. He declined to name any of his actual helpers. Given the Fuitina was an agreed upon arrangement between himself and Franca, no actual kidnap or rape had been committed. Filippo Melodia concluded that Franca's true wish was to marry him, but her tyrannical father would not allow it. After Filippo stepped down, the defense called a long procession of witnesses who supported his claims.

One by one they provided alibis for each of Filippo's accomplices. Most were said to have been at work all day, some at home, one in the market in town and one at the barbers. In support of Filippo's claims that he and Franca were in love and the Fuitina had been pre-planned between them, the defense called a woman named Anna Longaro. Anna lived next door to Filippo's sister and witnessed the brief standoff between Filippo and the police. Anna testified that Franca had not shouted, don't shoot in fear of her own safety, but

had actually yelled, don't shoot, he is my husband, in order to protect the man she loved from the officer's bullets. As the defense concluded their case, none of the twelve accused men in the defendant's cage seemed at all worried about their fate. They talked and joked amongst themselves, smoked cigarettes and laughed. The prosecution's argument was simple. In clear violation of the law, the twelve defendants had kidnapped Franca Viola and then Filippo Melodia had raped her multiple times.

The prosecution conceded that under section 544 of the criminal code, these actions would cease to be crimes in relation to all defendants, if and when Franca Viola married Filippo Melodia. However, given Franca's continued refusal to do so, which was her right, the fact of the crimes remained. Whether in fear of physical reprisal or simply the social stigma, no one in the community was willing to testify on behalf of the Viola family. The prosecution's case was limited to what those within the family claimed on the stand. Both Vita and Bernardo testified as to the events leading up to their daughter's abduction.

They confirmed that back in 1963, Franca was indeed engaged to Filippo Melodia, albeit conditionally on the two becoming more acquainted. After spending time with Filippo, Franca had realized that she did not want to marry him and so his proposal was rejected. Franca's parents testified to the campaign of intimidation and destruction that followed. Despite the defense's attempts to prove otherwise, Vita maintained that all of Filippo's accomplices were in the courtroom that day. Even though they had been wearing face coverings when they took her daughter, Vita was able

to recognize all of those involved. Franca's aunt and grandmother both testified that they, along with Franca's parents and her brother Mariano, all enjoyed Christmas Day together. No time did Franca have any interaction or conversation with Filippo as he had claimed. Finally, Franca Viola sat in the witness box. She described her ordeal at the hands of Filippo Melodia in clear and precise detail. She denied that the Fuitina had been pre-planned between them, maintaining that none of what she had endured was consensual.

Franca firmly stated that she was not now or had ever been in love with Filippo Melodia. Franca was pressed as to why she had now gone against all tradition by refusing to marry Filippo and restore her own honor and the social standing of her family. She replied, I am not the property of anyone. Honor is lost by those who do certain things, not those who suffer them. After providing her testimony, Franca stayed away from the courthouse for the remainder of the trial.

She could no longer face the endless intrusion of reporters and photographers, nor the constant demand by Filippo Melodia's supporters to drop the charges and marry him. Instead, Franca would rely on her father's reports of the day's proceedings. Despite continued threats to his life, Bernardo never missed the day of the trial. In their closing statement, the prosecution requested exemplary sentences for each of the defendants to illustrate to everyone that violence should not be rewarded. They suggested that Filippo Melodia's accomplices received sentences ranging from four months to 13 years, proportionate to their respective roles in the kidnap of Franca Viola.

Or Filippo himself, a sentence of 22 years and 10 months was put forward as deserving and just. The defense continued to argue that no crime had been committed, as Franca was in on the entire plot. But, should the court find cause for a conviction, the defense said it would be unfair for Filippo Melodia to pay dearly for his actions committed in accordance with the social customs of the time. On the seventh and final day of the trial, the presiding judges retired to deliberate

the case. To the local community and Sicily as a whole, the trial marked a potential turning point in their social history. At 5.30 that evening, the judges delivered their verdict. The court found resoundingly in favour of Franca Viola and sentenced Filippo Melodia to 11 years in prison for kidnap and rape. Eight out of his 11 accomplices also received prison sentences. The reaction of those in the courtroom was stunned silence.

Italian newspaper La Stampa reported, and with Filippo Melodia, this lesson will be listened to by many other Sicilians, who, like it or not, will have to know that something new is stirring in our countryside. As the courtroom emptied, reporters were able to briefly speak with the patriarch of the Melodia and Viola families. Filippo Melodia's father, Vincenzo, indicated he was not at all worried about his son's conviction, as there was still time for the matrimonio reparatore. With such a marriage, the law allowed his son's crimes to fall away even after the

sentence had been handed down. Vincenzo was upbeat, suggesting that the wedding could be arranged very quickly. He stated, I really don't understand why Bernardo doesn't want to. In his place, I would have married Franco and Filippo. In contrast, Bernardo Viola remained steadfast that his daughter would never marry Filippo Melodia. The Viola family were simply keen to get on with their lives.

When asked about Franco's future, Bernardo confirmed that she had obtained her driver's license and was studying to become a typist. During the previous year, Franco had received dozens of letters of support for her decision not to marry her rapist, and she had already received hundreds of written marriage proposals. Bernardo was confident that Franco would be just fine. Shortly after the trial, Filippo Melodia's legal team appealed his sentence, and in July 1967, they were marginally successful. Filippo's sentence was reduced to 10 years in prison with two years of supervised confinement.

It was still dark on the morning of Wednesday, December 4, 1968, as 20-year-old Franco Viola walked slowly down the aisle between the chapel's pews. A bouquet of orange blossoms stood out against her white satin and lace dress, and her smile radiated through the white veil that covered her face. At the end of the aisle was 25-year-old accountant Giuseppe Roussi. Franco and Giuseppe had gone to school together and had lost touch in the years that followed. They were reacquainted at a reunion between their families in 1966, right before Franco was about to face Filippo Melodia in court.

Franco was already dealing with the severe public scrutiny of that decision, so she had kept her courtship with the Giuseppe a secret. He became her rock, calling Franco regularly as she remained hidden away in her home waiting for updates on the trial from her father. After the stress and attention of that ordeal faded away, Giuseppe proposed. At first, Franco refused. She feared that Filippo Melodia would find out and have Giuseppe killed. However, Giuseppe persisted, telling Franco that he'd rather spend a short life as her

husband than a whole life with any other woman. As soon as Franco accepted his proposal, Giuseppe applied for the marriage license and, as a contingency, a license to carry. Franco and Giuseppe opted to keep their wedding ceremony a small and private affair. Many close friends and family were invited, and the ceremony took place at dawn. A number of the police who had protected the violas in the lead-up to and during the trial were in attendance. As was Franco's lawyer, who had become a close friend of the family since the trial.

Franco and Giuseppe received congratulations and wedding gifts from the Italian President Giuseppe Saragat and from the Italian Prime Minister Giovanni Leone. As the sun rose on their nuptials, the newlyweds made their way to Rome for a private audience with the Pope. After serving 10 years for the kidnapped rape of Franco Viola, Filippo Melodia was released from prison. He was immediately transported to Northern Italy, where he would be confined to the town of Mordena for the next two years to complete his sentence under supervised release.

At no point did Filippo show any remorse for his crimes. On Wednesday, April 12, 1978, after finishing his day's work at an auto body shop, 38-year-old Filippo Melodia made his way to a bar near his apartment. Still wearing his dirty work overalls, he sat down to watch a replay of the day's Champions League football match on the bar's television screen. Just after 8.30pm, the owner of the bar called out to Filippo from across the room, telling him that he had a phone call. A police marshal was on the other line, Filippo was told.

He strode over to the phone and announced his presence down the receiver, but there was no response. Untroubled, Filippo hung up the phone and decided to head home. As he went to leave, two men appeared and blocked his path. One of the men lifted a shotgun and fired twice into Filippo's chest. It was a textbook mafia execution. On Monday, December 19, 1966, less than 48 hours after Filippo Melodia was found guilty and sentenced to prison, 22-year-old Mateo Charavolo was walking with her mother down

a street in the Sicilian town of Salami. All of a sudden, a car stopped alongside Mateo and three men wrangled her into the vehicle. Mateo's mother was knocked to the ground and could do nothing but watch as the men drove away with her daughter. Mateo was held captive and repeatedly raped by her ex-fiancé Andrea Viettiosso. After four days, the police tracked down Mateo to an empty cottage on the outskirts of town. Andrea Viettiosso insisted that no crime had been committed, as Mateo had agreed to marry him.

With the support of her family and emboldened by the courage and resolve of Franca Viola before her, Mateo denounced her rapist. She told the police that she had never agreed to run away with Andrea and that she would never marry him. Mateo had Andrea Viettiosso charged immediately. Twenty-four days later, 18-year-old Carmela Parisi was kidnapped in central Sicily and raped by Franco Mattura. Despite her family's wishes for her to marry her rapist, Carmela became the third Sicilian

girl to refuse the convention. The floodgates had opened. Girls and young women throughout Sicily were now breaking the tradition that had punished them per centuries. It took her further 15 years before the law that rewarded sexual violence with marriage was finally repealed. In 2014, 66-year-old Franca Viola was awarded the honor of Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by then-president Giorgio Napolitano.

Franca received the award for her brief but powerful contribution to the emancipation of women in Italy. The following year, Franca agreed to a rare interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica in which she reflected on her life and experiences. She emphasized the importance of family support and explained the advice she had recently given to her granddaughter. Quote, You have to decide what is right, not what is convenient.