A scion of the notorious Casamonica crime family died in an explosion near Rome as he tried to burn down a villa to avenge his sister's 'honour' after she eloped with the owner's son, police said on Monday.
Police opened an investigation after they found the charred body of 27-year-old Nicandro Casamonica on Sunday in the courtyard of the two-storey villa located in the Ciampino area south of the capital
The villa was empty at the time of the explosion at around 4pm and no-one else was hurt, police said. It is owned by Raffaele Casamonica, whose son eloped with Nicandro Casamonica's sister.
Several Italian journalists received death-threats after the controversial Hollywood-style funeral in south Rome of alleged Casamonica boss Vittorio Casamonica on 21 August last year.
The gaudy ceremony at San Giovanni Bosco church on 21 August prompted indignation as it featured a gilded carriage driven by six horses, a band playing the theme-tune from The Godfather and rose petals thrown from a helicopter.
