The attack

An armed commando opened fire at the home of Damiano Pepe, 64, in contrada Lattughelle, in the Cassano all'Ionio area of Cosenza province in Calabria. The attack happened around midnight between Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October, according to il Giornale, and Open says the group had at least two members. Reports say the gunmen fired close to the house, killing Pepe's 60-year-old wife and leaving him seriously wounded. Open says he was hit in the back, probably by a long weapon. Il Giornale, citing local sources, says the attackers wore masks, a claim investigators still have to check. The woman was reportedly killed on the spot, before rescuers arrived.

His condition

Pepe was first taken to the hospital in Corigliano Rossano and then moved to Cosenza. Open reports that he underwent urgent surgery and is not in danger of life. Il Giornale describes a much graver picture, saying he is in very grave condition with a reserved prognosis, and that after the first operation in Rossano he was moved to the Annunziata hospital in Cosenza. The two accounts agree on the transfer but differ on how close to death he is.

Who Pepe is

Investigators regard Pepe as a senior figure in the Abbruzzese-Pepe clan of Cassano, according to il Giornale and Open. Open says he is known in criminal circles as "Tripolino" and was released in 2019 after serving 26 years in prison for mafia association and murder. Il Giornale describes a long sentence for the same offences and says earlier investigations named him as promoter of what it calls the "cosca degli Zingari", with links between Corigliano and Cassano. Both outlets say his brother Eduardo was killed in 2002 during a feud with the Forastefano clan. The reports do not say whether the attack is linked to that feud or to any current dispute.

The investigation

Carabinieri from the Cassano all'Ionio company were first on the scene, joined by units from the provincial command in Cosenza and 118 medical teams, il Giornale reports. A carabinieri captain led the scene work. The case is reportedly coordinated by the Castrovillari prosecutor's office and the Catanzaro district anti-mafia directorate (DDA). Investigators are trying to establish how many attackers there were, which weapons they used and the route they took.

Open questions

Several facts remain unsettled, including the number of attackers, the weapons used, whether the masks detail holds, and Pepe's exact medical condition. The accounts of his prognosis cannot both be right, and the reports do not describe a motive. The reports also do not say whether any suspects have been identified.