A building contractor in the Sicilian town of Altofonte discovered a severed horse head and a cow quartered with its bloodied dead calf on his property. The incident is being investigated as a possible mafia threat, CNN reported.

The grisly scene was found on the contractor’s land near Palermo, with the animals kept on an adjacent property. Police have confirmed the discovery, describing it as deeply unsettling and similar to the 1972 film The Godfather, in which a character wakes up to find a decapitated horse’s head in his bed.

The contractor, whose identity is being withheld for safety reasons, reported to authorities that he had not previously received any threats. He frequently carries out municipal construction work, but has not been approached by any groups demanding money or favours.

Police are treating the act as a mafia intimidation tactic. The gruesome discovery follows the recent release of 20 mafia members whose sentences expired, and whose potential for retaliation may be a factor, according to Maurizio de Lucia, the head of the Anti-Mafia Directorate.

Altofonte’s mayor, Angela De Lucia, called the incident “barbaric” and said it “seems to take us back to the Middle Ages,” as per CNN.

The use of dead animals as a form of intimidation has a long history in Sicily, where mafia groups like Cosa Nostra have used such tactics for decades. In 2023, similar incidents included a severed pig’s head being found at a local police station and a business contractor discovering a goat’s head on his garden gate.

Sicilian organised crime has deep roots, with Cosa Nostra’s violent history reaching its peak in 1992, when two anti-mafia judges were assassinated. In recent years, however, mafia groups have shifted their focus from violence to infiltrating legitimate businesses, such as construction and sanitation. Extortion and protection money, known as “pizzo,” continue to be common mafia activities.