Corsican underworld figure Jean-Pierre Giacomoni shot dead outside home near Sartène
Jean-Pierre Giacomoni, a 61-year-old convicted associate of Corsican criminal factions who survived two previous assassination attempts, was shot dead outside his residence in Foce near Sartène.
Ambush in Foce
Jean-Pierre Giacomoni, born in October 1961, was shot dead outside his residence in Foce, near Sartène in southern Corsica, around 00:30 on Friday, 28 August 2026. Judicial authorities and the Ajaccio public prosecutor opened a formal assassination inquiry immediately after the fatal attack. The research section of the Corsican gendarmerie received initial charge of the investigation at the scene. Specialized magistrates from the Interregional Specialized Jurisdiction (JIRS) in Marseille were scheduled to take control of the case during the day due to the organized crime context. Giacomoni, known in island underworld circles by the nickname "Bazooka", had previously worked as the commercial manager of a campsite and a petrol station.
Past shootings and criminal conviction
The fatal shooting in Foce was the third targeted attack on Giacomoni over a sixteen-year span. On 14 May 2010, gunmen ambushed him while he was driving a motor vehicle through Sartène, leaving him with severe gunshot injuries. Attackers struck again in February 2017 in Sartène, firing four bullets into Giacomoni as he was returning to his home and leaving him for dead. Beyond the attacks, Giacomoni was implicated in Corsican judicial proceedings. In November 2019, following an initial acquittal in a lower court, the Bastia court of appeal sentenced him to eight years in prison for criminal association. The conviction stemmed from his role in an underworld score-settling scheme that targeted a building and public works contractor.
- Giacomoni is seriously wounded in a shooting while driving in Sartène.
- Giacomoni is struck by four bullets in Sartène and left for dead.
- Jean-Luc Codaccioni senior is assassinated at Bastia-Poretta airport.
- Bastia appeal court sentences Giacomoni to eight years in prison for criminal association.
- Giacomoni is fatally shot outside his residence in Foce near Sartène.
Rival criminal factions in southern Corsica
Judicial investigators link the killing to enduring rivalries between established organized crime groups in Corsica. Justice officials regarded Giacomoni as a central figure in the underworld of the Sartenais-Valinco microregion within Corse-du-Sud. According to case information shared with AFP, Giacomoni was closely allied with the Mocchi gang during a period of fierce antagonism with a rival network now known as the Africans crew. A confidential judicial police intelligence report from 2025 describes the Mocchi group as structured around the heirs of Jean-Jé Colonna, a deceased figure long considered an organized crime godfather in southern Corsica. The document notes that the Mocchi faction maintains long-standing alliances with the Petit Bar criminal group and brings together influential local landowners who manage multiple commercial businesses.
The Bastia-Poretta airport vendetta
The opposing faction, known as the Africans gang, is linked to businessman Michel Tomi, who established a substantial network of gaming establishments and casinos in Africa. Police intelligence records indicate that the group is currently commanded by Jean-Luc Codaccioni junior. Codaccioni is conducting a targeted vendetta against individuals he links to the December 2017 assassination of his father, who was shot and killed at Bastia-Poretta airport. The 2025 judicial police intelligence report attributed about ten criminal operations and at least five assassinations to the Africans organization. Gendarmerie investigators continue collecting ballistic evidence outside the Foce home as interregional prosecutors in Marseille prepare the organized crime dossier.
