The Ordine Nero ( it, Black Order) was an Italian terrorist fascist group founded in 1974 following the dissolution of the fascist Ordine Nuovo. Between 1974 and 1978, bombings by ON led to a number of woundings and deaths, having orchestrated several deadly bombings and murders including the 1974

Italicus Express Bombing The Italicus Express massacre ( it, Strage del treno Italicus) was a terrorism in Italy, terrorist bombing in Italy on a train of the Ferrovie dello Stato, public rail network. During the early hours of 4 August 1974, the bomb attack killed 12 p ...

and the 1974 Brescia Bombing.

History

Ordine Nero simply adopted the ideologies of Ordine Nuovo. For the members of the neo-fascist Ordine Nero, the ultimate goal was to destroy the liberal-democratic state in order to clear the way for the fascist one. The Democratic state was assailed by the neo-fascists for its weakness, its alleged tolerance of Communists in parliament, dark-skinned immigrants in the labor force, and Jews in positions of power and influence. The neo-fascists belonging to Ordine Nero believed that the nation's survival was dependent upon the exorcism of these three elements; only by becoming politically, racially, and culturally homogeneous can the state recover its strength and again work for its natural citizens and not a variegated collection of interlopers. Regardless of their ultimate goal, they did not appear to have any specific program of reform. Instead, they actively espoused fascist slogans of nationalism, racial purity, and governmental strength. Ordine Nero operated alongside like-minded groups like "Movimento Armato Rivoluzionario", "

Terza Posizione Terza Posizione ( en, Third Position) was a short-lived neo-fascist political movement founded in Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map ...

", and "

Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari The Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari ( en, Armed Revolutionary Nuclei), abbreviated NAR, was an Italian terrorist neo-fascist militant organization active during the Years of Lead from 1977 to November 1981. It committed 33 murders in four years, an ...

". Many of these groups existed in name only. Like their counterparts on the left, right-wing terrorists staged different operations under different names in order to give the impression of size and strength. There is an ongoing controversy over whether the group had a role in any strategy of tension endorsed by elements of the Italian government or NATO. Bomber

Vincenzo Vinciguerra Vincenzo Vinciguerra (born 3 January 1949) is an Italian neo-fascist activist, a former member of the ''Avanguardia Nazionale'' ("National Vanguard") and '' Ordine Nuovo'' ("New Order"). He is currently serving a life-sentence for the murder of thr ...

alleged that the Italian security services and the "Atlantic Alliance", particularly the United States, had a role in the group's activities.

Activities

Bombings

A series of bomb attacks occurred in Savona, Italy from April 1974 to May 1975. The public prosecutor reopened one of the bombing cases, it remained without a manager, which made the reopening of the case useless. The bombs resulted in injuring 18 people and caused severe damage to public and private building structures.

1974 Piazza della Loggia bombing in Brescia

In May 1974 eight activists were killed in

Brescia Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo. ...

when an

anti-fascist Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were ...

protest was taking place in the municipal square. Due to a bomb placed in a trash bin, 8 people died from the explosion, over a hundred were wounded. On May 19, 2005, the

Corte di Cassazione The Supreme Court of Cassation ( it, Corte Suprema di Cassazione) is the highest court of appeal or court of last resort in Italy. It has its seat in the Palace of Justice, Rome. The Court of Cassation also ensures the correct application of ...

confirmed the arrest warrant against

Delfo Zorzi Delfo Zorzi (born July 3, 1947), presently known as , is an Italian-born Japanese neo-fascist. Biography Delfo Zorzi was born in Arzignano, near Vicenza, Italy, on July 3, 1947. In 1968 he moved to Naples to study Asian languages, later graduat ...

, a former ''Ordine Nuovo'' member, who was also suspected of being the material perpetrator of the 1969 Piazza Fontana bombing. Alongside Delfo Zorzi, his neo-fascist comrades Carlo Maria Maggi and Maurizio Tramonte, all members of ''Ordine Nuovo'', are also suspected of having organized the Piazza della Loggia bombing in Brescia. The city of Brescia, Italy suffered from one of Ordine Nero's worst operations. On 28 May 1974, a bomb placed inside a garbage container in Piazza Della Loggia detonated. Eight people were killed and one hundred and two injured. A day before the attack, the city's newspapers announced that they had received a message from the Black Order. The message threatened that multiple attacks would occur against businesses in the city. Since that attack, the government has held three trials, with the third concluding in 2017. The trials included the new order official Carlo Maria Maggi, who was convicted for organizing the massacre, and the militant Maurizio Tramonte.

Italicus Express bombing 1974

On 4 August 1974 a

Ferrovie dello Stato Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane S.p.A. ( "Italian Railways of the State"; previously only Ferrovie dello Stato, hence the abbreviation FS) is Italy's national state-owned railway holding company that manages transport, infrastructure, real estat ...

train was bombed in the early morning hours killing 12 and wounding 48. The following day, Ordine Nero (The new Ordine Nuovo) claimed responsibility. In a written statement they said:

We took revenge for Giancarlo Esposti. We wanted to show the nation that we can place a bomb anywhere we want, whenever and however we please. Let us see in autumn; we will drown democracy under a mountain of dead.

Giancarlo Esposti was killed on 30 May 1974. On 4 August 4, a bomb planted by members of the Ordine Nero exploded on the Italicus Express, claiming 12 lives and injuring 48. The bomb went off as the train exited the

San Benedetto Val di Sambro San Benedetto Val di Sambro ( Medial Mountain Bolognese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Bologna in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southwest of Bologna. The Italicus Express bombing and the Train 904 ...

tunnel. Although former Prime Minister

Aldo Moro Aldo Romeo Luigi Moro (; 23 September 1916 – 9 May 1978) was an Italian statesman and a prominent member of the Christian Democracy (DC). He served as prime minister of Italy from December 1963 to June 1968 and then from November 1974 to July 1 ...

had disembarked the train days before the bomb detonated, many scholars believe that Moro was the true target. The Ordine Nero claimed the bombing was retribution for the killing of the purported Brescia bomber, Giancarlo Esposti, by Italian police. Following the bombing, several Ordine Nero members were detained. In February 1978, a bomb exploded on the outside of "Gazzettino di Venezia" main entrance. Gazzettino di Venezia is an editorial building of the conservative newspaper. The building is located in Venice, Italy. The explosion resulted in killing the night watchman. The 49-year-old man "Franco Battaggliarin" died instantly from the explosion. The police reported that they received an anonymous call claiming that the bomb was planted by Ordine Nero. On 10 August 1983, a bomb was planted on Milan-Palermo train. Train of Milan-Palermo held approximately one thousand passengers. The bomb detonator failed to operate. The failure of the detonator occurred as the train approached the proximity of Vernio. The railroads were supposed to blow up due to the explosion, but due to the failure, only two mechanics were slightly injured from flying glass. Ordine Nero claimed the attack via telephone.

Arrests

Marco Pastori, a member of the Ordine Nero living in Spain, was arrested several times by Spanish police. Police say that the 38-year-old man was extremely dangerous, and he had been convicted of using and owning firearms and explosive which cost him different charges. He was first arrested in April 1974 over a bank shooting. He was accused of killing a bank clerk and a 10-year-old girl. After he escaped, he was re-arrested in 1975. After a few years later he escaped for the second time in 1978. The police said that various neo-fascist groups in South America took him in.

History

Activities

Bombings

1974 Piazza della Loggia bombing in Brescia

Italicus Express bombing 1974

Arrests

See also

References

Further reading