A Sicilian Mafia Boss Bit a Prison Guard's Finger Off

A 60-year-old Sicilian Mafia boss serving a life sentence in a Rome prison bit off and swallowed a guard’s finger, reports Italian media.

Giuseppe Fanara, a member of Sicily’s Cosa Nostra crime family, is nine years into his sentence at Rome’s Rebibbia prison. In June, during a routine cell check, he attacked seven guards and, during the altercation, “bit off the agent’s little finger on his right hand”, according to the Italian daily Il Messagerro.

“The finger disappeared, leading a Rome prosecutor to conclude it had been eaten,” the paper added.

Fanara then reportedly ran towards the remaining six guards, holding a broomstick while shouting, “I’ll slit your throats like pigs!”

The 60-year-old was imprisoned under Italy’s “41-bis” penal code, which separates mob bosses from other prisoners to prevent them from conducting any business from behind bars. The strict rule also prevents the use of telephones, meetings with third parties and the receiving or sending of money over a certain amount, among other measures.

Amnesty International has said that the 41-bis rules could, in some cases, amount to "cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment" for prisoners.

According to Il Messagerro, Fanara has now been transferred to the high-security Sassari prison in Sardinia, where he faces new charges including aggravated assault and resisting arrest.