With the killing of Tripodo, the conflict withered to its end. However, the final stage was the killing of Giorgio De Stefano on 7 November 1977 in Santo Stefano in the Aspromonte. He was killed by Giuseppe Suraci, a minor 'Ndrangehta soldier, apparently out of personal vengeance, but in reality on the orders of Piromalli, who feared the rise of the De Stefanos. By extorting a bribe of a building contractor already under the protection of the Piromallis, De Stefano had committed a sgarro (insulting the honour and authority of a crime boss). The Piromallis had Suraci killed and offered his head on a silver platter to Giorgio's brother Paolo De Stefano, to show their allegiance, but in reality to prevent Suraci from revealing the real reason of the killing.