Francesco Leopoldo Bianchi

at 6:00 PM Terzilio Lazzereschi, a well-off man, a kiln operator, for reasons still unknown he met Bianchi outside of Pilade Morelli's Cafe. Terzillio who the night before had been insulted and beaten fired a shot and killed Bianchi. Terzilio fired a gun in which the bullet struck the occipital region and exited the opposite side. It was the direct and only cause of his death.

Terzilio in January of this year acquired from Bianchi's father the business of a lime kiln and he employed Francesco's brother, Tito. The good harmony between the Lazzereschi and the Bianchi family quikly changed to mutual anamosity when Lazzereschi fired Tito Bianchi from his job on March 5 over suspicion of disloyalty. Disloyalty is an issue of honor in that time frame. This could be why Terzilio was beaten.

The Bianchi family was very upset when they came after Terzilio. Italian's are very strict about injuring someone in the face. It is considered an extremely serious crime. On March 6 Bianchi was moved by hi ssame emotions to strike Lazzereschi's face with his fists, causing wounds that healed in 7 days. On that evening of March 7 Lazzereschi seeing that Bianchi continued to maintain a threatening attitude towards him armed himself with a revolver, anticipated by firing his own revolver at Bianchi, who fell dying; as Terzilio did this he said according to some witnesses "e una" and or "and one!".

You don't touch people in a society like that. He thought Bianchi was armed with a revolver. He was going to go after Tito because both brothers had threatened him. Bianchi was defending his brother, Tito, and all of the family.

In Lucca Lazzereschi was officially charged. Accused of voluntary homocide was acquited. They found that he was defending himself. Pretty strange considering he was shot from behind his head. He had two of the most famous attorney's in town. Sept. 8, 1912 court of appeals was sentenced for carrying a prohibited weapon was fined 87.84 lira, 38 days, and had to pay 1/5 of the court costs. So from a felony to a misdemeanor. But he dared to ask something of the court, when I was arrested there was 500 lira in my billfold. So after all of the court cost there should be 119 lira owed to me and I want it back. That would be worth 2500 US dollars today.

The court is saying it was the fear of his own life that he killed Bianchi. Why did he have 500 lira in his pocket? Was he going to give money to someone that night? "You are being charged with murder and you aren't feeling remorse, you're still making a point, hey I want that money. It's a very strange reaction" Marisa Tomei

The name Lazzareschi comes from the name lazirony which means a bad man.