"Defamed Cagnazzo", Giulio Golia, Rti and the Vassallo brothers sentenced

Audio Podcasts

Cagnazzo Defamed Sentenced Giulio Golia Rti EI Vassallo Brothers 2026 09 02

Listen to other Podcasts

A television story that, according to the Frosinone Civil Court, ended up shaping the public's opinion on the position of then-Carabinieri officer Fabio Cagnazzo, linking him to the murder of Angelo Vassallo, the mayor of Pollica, killed in Acciaroli on September 5, 2010.

This is the heart of the ruling in which civil judge Luigi Petraccone deemed the five reports produced in 2020 by the TV show "Le Iene" about the case of the so-called "fisherman mayor" to be defamatory. The ruling, over twenty pages long, acknowledges damage to Cagnazzo's reputation and identifies liability both in the production and content of the reports and in the statements made during the interviews.

Those ordered to pay compensation are journalist Giulio Golia, Reti Televisive Italiane spa, and Angelo Vassallo's brothers, Dario and Massimo. Francesco Avallone, represented by lawyers Giorgio Scognamiglio and Sergio Grandoni of the De Simone firm, was acquitted of liability.

Compensation

The Court assessed the principal compensation at €100, establishing joint liability according to a precise distribution: 40 percent to Giulio Golia, another 40 percent to Reti Televisive Italiane, and the remaining 20 percent to the brothers Dario and Massimo Vassallo, in relation to the statements made in their respective interviews.

Added to this sum is another €20, paid entirely by Giulio Golia. According to the judge, the journalist played a key role in the overall construction of the reports, including content and editing.

The total amount indicated in the ruling therefore comes to 120 thousand euros.

the cutting of services

The Court's reasoning focuses above all on the narrative structure of the five episodes.

According to the judge, the defamatory nature was not attributable only to a single sentence or an explicit accusation, but to the overall way in which the case was told.

The provision emphasizes that "the defamatory content does not derive from individual explicit statements," but from the "overall construction of the report," through the editing of sequences, implied correlations, and narrative suggestions.

According to this reconstruction, the result would have been to induce a negative judgment towards Cagnazzo in the average viewer, even without a formal complaint being formulated against him.

Cagnazzo's defense

Satisfaction was expressed by the lawyers who assisted Cagnazzo in the civil proceedings.

Attorney Antonio Mosca, who handled the case alongside his colleague Marialuisa Petroni, emphasized the significance of the ruling while emphasizing that no compensation can erase the personal and professional consequences of the affair.

"We are obviously satisfied with the verdict, which accepted our findings," the lawyer explains, while also emphasizing "the awareness that no amount of money can compensate Colonel Cagnazzo for what he has been forced to endure over the years."

The reactions

The ruling, however, does not close the case. The convicted parties will be able to appeal the decision before the Court of Appeal, requesting its overturning.

The Vassallo brothers' defense has already announced a highly critical stance toward the decision. Attorney Antonio Ingroia, representing Dario and Massimo Vassallo, calls it a "sentence that cries out for vengeance" and says he believes the verdict can be overturned at the second instance trial.

The defense's argument is that the victim's family members should be granted the opportunity to express their opinions and criticisms of the actions of those who investigated their relative's death, especially when such statements are related to facts believed to be concrete.

Giulio Golia also reiterated his belief that he had carried out his journalistic work correctly.

The investigation into the murder of the fisherman mayor

The civil ruling is part of a still-open legal case regarding the murder of Angelo Vassallo.

September 5th will mark the sixteenth anniversary of the death of the mayor of Pollica, assassinated in Acciaroli in 2010.

Regarding Fabio Cagnazzo's position in the criminal investigation, the officer, represented by lawyers Ilaria Criscuolo and Agostino De Caro, has been dismissed by the judge for the preliminary hearing. According to the text, the appeal filed by prosecutor Elena Guarino of the Salerno Public Prosecutor's Office, in charge of the investigation into the murder of the "fisherman mayor," is scheduled for November.

Two proceedings, therefore, operating on different levels: on one side, the civil case over alleged television defamation; on the other, the criminal investigation into the death of Angelo Vassallo. A legal tangle destined to remain at the center of attention in the coming months.

Topics

Chronicles of Campania

SEPTEMBER 4, 2026

Cilento

"Angelo Vassallo is not a catwalk": the brothers of the fisherman mayor boycott the commemoration in Acciaroli.

Audio Podcast Cagnazzo Defamed Sentenced Giulio Golia Rti EI Fratelli Vassallo 2026 09 02 Your browser does not support the audio element. Listen to other Podcasts × More…

Context

The Cagnazzo case and the murder of Angelo Vassallo

To fully understand the ruling that convicted Giulio Golia and others of defamation against Fabio Cagnazzo, it is helpful to consider the broader context of the affair.

Vassallo Murder: Angelo Vassallo, mayor of Pollica, was assassinated on September 5, 2010, a case that attracted considerable media and public attention.
Cagnazzo's role: Fabio Cagnazzo, a Carabinieri officer at the time, was involved in the murder investigation, but his case was later dropped.
Civil ruling: The Frosinone Court deemed 'Le Iene's' reports defamatory, awarding Cagnazzo €120 in damages.
Legal Reactions: The convicted parties have expressed their intention to appeal the sentence, highlighting the complexity of the case and the differing legal interpretations.
Criminal investigation: The investigation into Vassallo's murder is still open, with developments expected in the coming months, which could further impact Cagnazzo's situation.