Maurizio Minghella was born on July 16, 1958, in Genoa, Italy. He grew up in a district called Val Polcevera, specifically in Bolzaneto. When he was six years old, his mother decided to separate from his husband. She raised her five children alone after this. Eventually, she married another man who was abusive. Minghella later described his feelings about this stepfather, saying he was an alcoholic who often beat the family. He expressed a deep hatred for him, even saying that he dreamed of killing him.

In school, Minghella struggled to keep up with his classmates. He could not pass the second grade, and by the age of 12, he was still in the first grade. His school behavior was troubling; he would grab his classmates by the neck or drag them by their noses and mouths. After leaving school, he started doing small jobs, including working as a tiler. However, he often stole scooters, motorbikes, and cars from the streets of Val Polcevera and nearby areas.

Minghella was also known for his interest in disco music, earning him the nickname "Travolta of Val Polcevera." He was often seen with different girls and enjoyed going out. He had a passion for boxing but got kicked out of the gym for being too aggressive. A significant event in his life was the death of his brother in a car crash, which had a strong effect on him and his mental state.

In 1977, Minghella married a 15-year-old girl named Rosa Manfredi. He described their marriage as happening "by chance." Rosa struggled with depression and was dependent on psychotropic drugs. Their marriage did not last long, as Minghella often visited prostitutes, and Rosa suffered a miscarriage. This event further affected Minghella's already fragile personality. In 1978, he was assessed at the psychiatric clinic of the University of Genoa, where it was found that he had a low IQ of 70.

On 18 April 1978, Maurizio Minghella committed his first murder in Genoa. He killed a prostitute named Anna Pagano and hid her body in a rural area. The corpse was discovered later by shepherds. Minghella tried to mislead the investigation by writing a misspelled phrase on her body.

On 8 July 1978, he murdered another woman named Giusepinna Jerardi and concealed her body in a stolen car. A little later, on 18 July, he killed 14-year-old Maria Catena "Tina" Alba. Her body was found the next day, tied to a tree in Valbrevenna. Then on 22 August, after a night out, he killed 21-year-old Maria Strambelli. Her body was found three days later in the outskirts of Genoa. The final victim of this series was 19-year-old Wanda Scerra, who disappeared on 28 November. Her body was later discovered along the Genoa-Milan railway.

Minghella was arrested on the night of 5-6 December 1978. He confessed to killing Strambelli and Scerra but denied killing the other victims. Evidence connected him to the murders, including calligraphy analysis and a pair of glasses found at one of the crime scenes. In April 1981, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for five murders.

In the years that followed, Minghella committed more murders. In March 1997, he killed Loredana Maccario in Turin. Then in May, he murdered Fatima H'Didou. On 14 February 1998, he killed Floreta Islami, and on 30 January 1999, he murdered Cosima Guido. Lastly, on 16-17 February 2001, he killed Florentina "Tina" Motoc.

Minghella was arrested again on 7 March 2001. Police found the victims' cell phones with deleted information. After being transferred to prison, he attempted to escape but was recaptured. On 4 April 2003, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Motoc and received an additional 30 years for the murders of Guido and H'Didou. In March 2017, he was also sentenced to 30 years for the murder of Floreta Islami. He is currently serving his sentences in a prison in Pavia.