Bio

Giorgio William Vizzardelli was born in 1922 in Francavilla al Mare, Italy. He was the son of Guido Vizzardelli, who worked as the director of the Registry Office in Sarzana. His early life was marked by a significant event: as a child, he survived a powerful earthquake, which left him traumatized and suffering from chronic headaches throughout his life.

As a young boy, Giorgio developed a fascination with distilling liquor and firearms. He admired Al Capone, a famous gangster from America. His personality was described as introverted, and he often felt like an outsider.

At the age of 14, while attending vocational school at the Casa delle Missioni college, Giorgio experienced a shocking incident. He killed Don Umberto Bernardelli, the rector of the college. This event marked the beginning of his criminal activities. After this, he also killed Friar Andrea Bruno, a college guard, who recognized him during his escape.

In the years that followed, Giorgio was involved in several more crimes. By December 1939, he had committed a series of murders. Investigators struggled to connect these crimes, as they were not able to identify a clear suspect initially. When they finally turned their attention to Giorgio, he initially denied his involvement. However, he later confessed to committing five murders. His confessions revealed that he had killed for various reasons, including revenge for past grievances and to cover up his previous crimes.

Due to his age at the time of the crimes, he was not sentenced to death. Instead, he received a life sentence in 1940. He became the youngest lifer in Italy. Over the years, his father sought a pardon for him, which was granted in 1968. After spending 28 years in prison and a mental institution, Giorgio was released. Unfortunately, he struggled to adjust to life after prison and ultimately took his own life in 1973.

Murder Story

Giorgio William Vizzardelli, known as the Sarzana Killer, committed his first murder in 1937 when he was only 14 years old. He killed Don Umberto Bernardelli, the rector of the Casa delle Missioni college, with an axe in the library. After this murder, he shot Friar Andrea Bruno, the college's guard, to silence him because he had recognized Giorgio.

In the following months, two more victims were found in a stream. Livio Delfini, a 20-year-old barber, and Bruno Veneziani, a 35-year-old taxi driver, were both shot. These murders occurred in 1938. Delfini had discovered Giorgio's involvement in the priest's murders and was blackmailing him.

On December 29, 1939, Giuseppe Bernardini, the 75-year-old custodian of the Registry Office, was found dead. He had been bludgeoned with an axe, and money was stolen from the office safe. Investigations led to Giorgio, who had access to the keys.

Eventually, he confessed to all five murders. He said he killed the rector out of revenge for being scolded. He admitted to killing the other victims to cover up his earlier crimes. Giorgio was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1940. Because he was a minor, he escaped the death penalty.

In 1968, he was pardoned by the President of the Republic. However, his life ended tragically when he committed suicide in 1973.