A severed horse’s head has been discovered at the property of a Sicilian businessman, in what local authorities believe may be a mafia intimidation tactic reminiscent of a scene from The Godfather.

The animal’s head was left on the seat of a digger owned by the man, a construction contractor in Altofonte, near the Sicilian capital, Palermo. The remains of a pregnant cow and its calf were also found at the site.

The businessman, who is well known in the town, reported the incident to police and told them he had previously received threats and warnings. Police think he may have been targeted for allegedly refusing to pay protection money or comply with other mafia demands.

The scene echoes the moment in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 film when a producer wakes to find the severed head of his thoroughbred horse in his bed.

Angela De Luca, the mayor of Altofonte, said her community had been deeply disturbed. “I was petrified, I can’t comprehend such barbarity,” she said. “This act seems to take us back to the middle ages, with its unacceptable methods.”

The news sparked a row on the island, where more than 20 mafia bosses have been released from prison in recent months after serving their sentences.

Delivering severed animal heads or dismembered animal bodies is among the most common intimidation tactics employed by the mafia in Sicily, predating the Godfather.

According to investigators, the tactic serves the dual purpose of terrorising its victims and striking at their most cherished bonds: animals to which they are often deeply attached.

Last May, the head of a goat was found in front of the home of a construction entrepreneur in Palermo and in 2023, a pig’s head was hung at the gate of a police station in the province of Messina.

In 2017, a decapitated bird was discovered in front of the school in Palermo dedicated to the legendary anti-mafia judge Giovanni Falcone, who was murdered by Cosa Nostra in 1992.