From a young age, Bergamo faced many challenges. When he was just 4 years old, he started to stutter. As he grew older, he became obese and developed a skin disease. These problems made him very shy and introverted. He often kept to himself and started collecting various items, including knives. He always carried a knife with him.

When he got older, Bergamo began working as a welder and carpenter. Then, at the age of 26, in May 1992, he had to have surgery to remove one of his testicles.

Bergamo murdered five women between 1985 and 1992. His victims included a 15-year-old student and four prostitutes, with the oldest being 41 years old. 

On January 3, 1985, the first victim, Marcella Casagrande, a 15-year-old student, was found dead in her home. She had been stabbed multiple times with a knife. The killer seemed to know a lot about using knives and human anatomy, as one of the stab wounds reached her tenth vertebra. She had been held by her hair while being attacked.

Six months later, on June 26, 41-year-old Anna Maria Cipolletti, a teacher who was also involved in prostitution, was found dead near a studio on Brennero Street. She had been stabbed 19 times, and her underwear was stolen. Cigarette butts and used condoms were found on her body, but there was no evidence of sexual violence. 

Seven years later, in 1992, Bergamo killed three more prostitutes. On January 7, 24-year-old Renate Rauch was found dead in a deserted parking lot. A few days later, flowers and a note were found on her grave, indicating that someone named "MM" was sorry but felt the murder was necessary. 

On March 21, Bergamo murdered 19-year-old Renate Troger. Her body was found near Renon, with 14 stab wounds. She had accepted a ride from Bergamo during the night.

On August 6, Bergamo killed 20-year-old Marika Zorzi, another prostitute. Her body was found with 28 stab wounds near a road leading to Monte Pozza. 

Bergamo was captured on August 6, 1992, shortly after his last murder. He was stopped by police after leaving Bolzano around 6:00 a.m. Bloodstains and a document belonging to the last victim were found in his car, and a missing rear-view mirror from his car was found at the crime scene. 

During the trial, Bergamo admitted to killing three of the five victims but denied killing Anna Maria Cipolletti and Renate Troger. The court found him guilty of all five murders, concluding that he was sadistic but fully aware of his actions. The court also explored various theories about his personality, including that he was a fetishist and exhibitionist. Experts concluded that Bergamo killed for enjoyment and to possess women in the most extreme and sadistic way.

On March 8, 1994, Bergamo was convicted. He later wrote a letter claiming that he only committed three murders and that the other two were done by someone else. 

Bergamo spent 24 years in various institutions due to issues related to maximum security. In February 2005, he was transferred to Bollate prison, which focused on rehabilitation. In 2005, he received a prize permission to leave prison, which shocked Italy. However, he did not receive parole in 2008. 

In 2014, the Court of Assizes of Bolzano reviewed his case but rejected his request for a judgment by an abbreviated rite, as it was not allowed for life imprisonment cases. 

Bergamo died on October 17, 2017, at the age of 51, from a serious lung infection while serving his sentence at Bollate prison.