Ms Lea Garofalo was born into the ‘Ndrangheta mafia in Calabria, Italy. She fell in love with Mr Carlo Cosco, a cocaine trafficker in the ‘Ndrangheta. In 1996, Mr Cosco and some members of his family were imprisoned for drug trafficking. Ms Garofalo decided to divorce Mr Cosco, but Mr Cosco did not accept this. Several years later, she referred Mr Cosco and his associates to the authorities for their involvement in trafficking cocaine and a murder committed by Mr Cosco and his brother. She also gave authorities valuable details regarding a civil war between two ‘Ndrangheta families. Ms Garofalo and her daughter Ms Denise Cosco were then put into witness protection following her cooperation with authorities, however they left witness protection in 2006.

In November 2009, Mr Cosco lured Ms Garofalo and their daughter to Milan on the pretence that they would discuss Ms Cosco’s university education. Ms Garofalo was then kidnapped, tortured and killed by Mr Cosco and his brothers Messrs Vito Cosco and Giuseppe Cosco. Ms Garofalo’s body was then dissolved in acid. The Cosco brothers were aided and abetted by Messrs Carmine Venturino, Rosario Curcio and Massimo Sabatino in the commission of these offences. The criminals then reportedly waited for 3 days until Ms Garofalo’s body had been completely dissolved. Her fate was only discovered several years later.