32 Facts About Carmine Crocco

Carmine Crocco, known as Donatello or sometimes Donatelli, was an Italian brigand.

Carmine Crocco was renowned for his guerrilla tactics, such as cutting water supplies, destroying flour mills, cutting telegraph wires and ambushing stragglers.

Carmine Crocco's father, Francesco Crocco, was a servant of the noble Santangelo family from Venosa and his mother, Maria Gerarda Santomauro, was a housewife.

Carmine Crocco's uncle Martino was a veteran of the Napoleonic army who fought in Spain during the Peninsular War, losing a leg, probably in the siege of Saragossa.

Carmine Crocco grew up with the tales of his uncle, from whom he learned to read and write.

Carmine Crocco's father was later accused of the attempted murder of Don Vincenzo and was imprisoned without sufficient proof.

In 1845, Carmine Crocco saved the life of Don Giovanni Aquilecchia, a nobleman of Atella, who had tried to cross the raging waters of the Ofanto River.

Carmine Crocco had the opportunity to meet Don Pietro Ginistrelli, Aquilecchia's brother-in-law, who was able to secure the release of his father from prison.

However, by the time he was released, Francesco Carmine Crocco was old and sick and this left Carmine Crocco to act as head of his family, working as a farmer in Rionero.

Don Ferdinando offered him a job as a farmer on his property, but Carmine Crocco preferred to take money instead, which he used to avoid military service, as during the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, service was avoidable upon payment.

When Carmine Crocco heard about these events he was angry and decided to avenge his sister.

When Don Peppino arrived, Carmine Crocco questioned him, but the discussion ended in a fight after Peppino hit Carmine Crocco with a whip.

However, this account is controversial because Captain Eugenio Massa, who collaborated on Carmine Crocco's autobiography, conducted a detailed investigation on the spot and could not confirm that a murder had taken place in the circumstances described by Carmine Crocco.

Carmine Crocco returned to Rionero but was arrested on 13 October 1855.

Garibaldi promised to forgive the deserters in exchange for military service and Carmine Crocco joined Garibaldi's army hoping for a pardon as well as other rewards.

Carmine Crocco accompanied Garibaldi north to Naples and took part in the famous Battle of Volturnus.

Carmine Crocco was taken to the prison in Cerignola but, with the help of the noble Fortunato family, he was able to get away.

On 7 April 1861 Carmine Crocco occupied Lagopesole and, the day after, Ripacandida, where he defeated the local garrison of the "Italian National Guard".

Carmine Crocco's army conquered parts of Campania, Apulia.

Carmine Crocco did not trust Borjes from the start and worried about losing his leadership, but he accepted the alliance.

Carmine Crocco's army made its way to Potenza, occupying neighbouring cities such as Guardia Perticara, San Chirico Raparo and Vaglio, but the expedition to the main city failed because of a clash between Carmine Crocco and Borjes on the military campaign.

Suddenly, Carmine Crocco was betrayed by Giuseppe Caruso, one of his lieutenants.

Carmine Crocco's band suffered many casualties, and some of his lieutenants, such as Ninco Nanco and Giuseppe "Sparviero" Schiavone, were captured and executed by firing squad, leaving Crocco to retire toward the Ofanto zone.

Carmine Crocco was then turned over to the Italian authorities and sentenced to death on 11 September 1872 in Potenza, but the sentence was commuted to hard labour for life.

Carmine Crocco was imprisoned on Santo Stefano Island, where he began writing his memoirs, with the help of Eugenio Massa, captain of the royal army, which published them in 1903, under the name Gli ultimi briganti della Basilicata.

Carmine Crocco was later transferred to the prison at Portoferraio, where he died on 18 June 1905.

Carmine Crocco is the main character of the production La Storia Bandita that is held every year in Brindisi Montagna.

Carmine Crocco appears in the second episode of the Italian TV drama L'eredita della priora by Anton Giulio Majano.

Carmine Crocco made a cameo appearance in the film 'o Re directed by Luigi Magni.

Carmine Crocco is the main protagonist of the 1999 movie Li chiamarono.

Carmine Crocco is the main protagonist of the TV film Il generale dei briganti by Paolo Poeti; Crocco is played by Daniele Liotti.

In November 2008, a museum dedicated to Carmine Crocco, named La Tavern r Crocc was opened in his home town.