Ciro Caliendo, the 48-year-old accused of faking a car accident to kill his wife, Lucia Salcone, is charged in Naples with manufacturing the explosive device that nearly killed a Guardia di Finanza officer in 2023. The Naples prosecutor's office has already forwarded the case to its colleagues in Puglia.
One man, two trials
This isn't the first time Ciro Caliendo has been in the crosshairs of the judiciary. The 48-year-old Apulian man, arrested on charges of premeditating and killing his wife Lucia Salcone—47, who died on September 27, 2024, in what investigators believe was a staged car accident—is already charged before a Naples court in another extraordinarily serious criminal case.
The bomb under the financier's car
On March 21, 2023, in Bacoli, in the province of Naples, a Guardia di Finanza officer miraculously escaped an attack: someone had planted an explosive device in his car. The investigation revealed a chilling picture: the person attempting to kill the officer was his wife, Viviana Pagliarone, who was sentenced to ten years in prison for attempted murder. The same sentence was handed down to Franco Di Pierno, 51, the man who actually planted the bomb under the vehicle.
Caliendo's role: the shadow artificer
In the Naples trial, Caliendo is being held accountable for a different but no less serious role: according to prosecutor Maurizio De Marco, he allegedly constructed the device used in the attack. He is charged with possession and carrying of an explosive device, and the trial phase of the proceedings is ongoing.
The connection between the two Prosecutor's Offices
The connection between the two cases has not escaped investigators. The Naples Prosecutor's Office has forwarded the documents from the Neapolitan proceedings to their colleagues in Puglia investigating the San Severo femicide, thus providing a comprehensive view of the defendant's criminal profile. This detail could be crucial in the new trial.
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Comments (1)
The story seems complicated, and there are two trials and too many unclear points to immediately determine who is guilty. I wouldn't put my hand in the fire. The trials and certain evidence are confusing, and the official and provincial facts don't match because the details don't add up. People remain skeptical but calm.