European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 16, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse Who killed by Robin Stafford United press International taking two Bullet riddled corpses leaning them against a Wall and shooting them again in second execution four hours after the first sounds like a macabre Edgar Allan Poe that is How an italian author who says he has spent 22 years looking into these things claims ital Ian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini and his Raven haired mistress Claretta Petacci died 33 years ago. Former journalist Franco Bandini 56, says in Hisook life and secret death of Mussolini that the second execution of the couple on april 28, 1945,was carried out to conceal the identity of the actual executioners. One of those executioners says Bandini was Luigi Longo now 78 and president of the italian communist says those present at the 12 30 . Shootings and the faked execution at 4 30 . Had been sworn to secrecy for at least 50 years and that a typed five Page document signed by four eyewitnesses is now in the files of the communist party in Rome s Street of the dark shops. A communist party spokesman said we will not have any comment to make about this. We stand by the account of Mussolini s death that is Well he referred a caller to communist historian Paol Spriano who said the minor details of Mussolini s death Are not important. What matters is that he is communist account of the killing of Mussolini says resistance fighters captured him and Claretta at Dongo on the shores of Lake Como As he attempted to flee with German troops on april 27,1945. During the night the Man who ruled Italy for 23years was taken with his mistress to the nearby Vil Lage of Giusino i Mezzera. The next Day the couple were shot on orders from resistance Headquarters in Milan of which Longo was a senior member. Communist resistance fighter Walter Audisio know Nas colonel Valerio said in 1947 that he had fired the fatal burst. Doil Magazine up 2 Bullet riddled bodies of Mussolini and mistress Claretta Petacci Are displayed at Milan Gas station. Book claims a phony second execution took place after the first to conceal identity of executioners one of whom May have been italian communist party president Luigi Longo above. Later the two bodies were displayed hanging head Down at a Milan Gas station until the prefect of Milan Riccardo Lombardi now a socialist Deputy ordered them Cut communists have maintained that Longo while approving the order that Mussolini should die was in Milan at the time of the asserts citing witnesses he has spoken to Over the years that in fact Longo and another partisan Alfre do Mordini drove to the site and hesitated a moment when they saw Claretta with said they both then opened fire and the two fell Mussolini hit by seven czech made 9mm bullets and Claretta by about the same Bandini said Audisio was then ordered to take responsibility for the shooting. He said Audisio concealed the bodies in a garage paraded two partisans disguised As Mussolini and his mistress through the Village so they appeared to be still alive placed the two bodies against a Villa Wall and fired a burst at them so that the villagers could hear. An inquiry into the roles of Audisio Longo an others in the killings was shelved by examining magistrates several years later when Mussolini and his mistress were found to have been killed in an act of Audisio who died five years ago gave differing details at different times about the that a Mussolini treasure estimated at $80 million in Gold bars jewelry and Cash were seized at the same time As the fascist dictator have never been proved or to ask Longo himself about the Bandini allegations were met at his Home and communist part Headquarters by statements that he was not there was Busy was on vacation or that the caller had the wrong number. Italy s youth angry with the system by Sylvana Foa United press International Settimio is locked in the bathroom every time his father hears a political demonstration i being plotted by students. Franco spends a lot of time locked in bathrooms too giving himself heroin fixes. Both Settimio and Franco Are 17 and angry with from working class families in Rome the two teen agers Are Bright enough to gain admission to universities next fall. But neither expects to gain much from it. To get a Good Job it s important who you know not what you know said Franco. And my family does t know Settimio can quote the statistics by Italy s 1.5 million unemployed 1.2 million Are be tween 14 and 29 and 400,000 of those have University de Grees. Settimio has found an outlet for his bitterness in Politi Cal commitment he s a member of the extreme left Wing autonomy which rejects organized political Par ties. His politics Don t go Down too Well at Home. My parents Are somewhere to the right of Julius Caesar he said. When the radio says something about a Demon stration my father locks me in the bathroom. I get 6,000 lire $7.50 a week allowance and the Only condition is that i keep my Mouth shut about politics he he can escape Settimio is a proud participant in the often violent demonstrations of the autonomy who Are particularly bitter about Italy s powerful communist party because they be sold our souls to the industrialists to buy themselves a seat in the there Are nearly 100 underground leftist groups like the autonomy in Italy and they have converted Many Young communists. Franco is a Menafr Egista i Don t give a Damner like an estimated 70 percent of his Peers and he mocks the political ideals of Settimio s crowd. They think they re making revolution but they re just making a lot of noise he said. A Bunch of Franco s form of protest is More personally destructive and his weapon is a hypodermic Needle. There Are no National statistics on the number of Young heroin users although medical authorities calculate an average of 20 heroin related deaths per month in Italy saturday september 16, 1978 and police say the number of addicts is rising sharply. Franco refuses to explain How he finances his expensive habit but admits that Many of his friends manage through the purse snatching gangs that strike in Italy every 45 minutes. Neither Franco nor Settimio has a steady girl Friend and both tend to socialize in crowds. Statistics show that 77 percent of italian boys and 74 percent of the girls lose their virginity before 18. But these lives of italian teens Are nothing to brag about. For most it s a Case of irregular and uncomfortable consummation in movie theater balconies or borrowed cars. Italian Young people nearly Alii live at Home until they marry and marriage for most is a near impossibility until Well past 25. Before i can marry i have to worry about finding an apartment said Settimio. And before i can worry about finding an apartment i have to worry about finding a Job. That Means i won t be worried about getting mar ried for a Long Long Settimio wants to be a philosopher the revolution needs philosophers he says seriously. Franco wants to be Rich really Rich or there s no the stars and stripes Page 13
