On 1 February 1947 , Salvatore Giuliano , a Sicilian bandit and separatist leader , killed 11 farmworkers and wounded other 27 , during May Day celebrations in the municipality of Piana degli Albanesi . His aim had been to punish local leftists for the recent election results . In an open letter he took sole responsibility for the murders and claimed that he had only wanted his men to fire above the heads of the crowd ; the deaths had been a mistake . The massacre created a national scandal and The CGIL called a general strike in protest against the massacre . According to newspaper reports hints at the possibility of civil war were heard as communist leaders harangued meetings of 6,000,000 workers who struck throughout Italy in protest against the massacre
killed
Portella della Ginestra massacre
Italian General Confederation of Labour