BOLOGNA – New evidence from a tourist’s holiday film has led a judge to reopen the investigation into the notorious Bologna massacre, in the hope of finding out whether Paolo Bellini, an ex-gangster in the neo-fascist Avanguardia Nazionale, was involved, reported Il Fatto Quotidiano.

 The amateur footage, taken by a German tourist who arrived at the station shortly before the explosion, shows a figure who closely resembles Bellini at the time. The mobster was initially accused of involvement and his alibi called into question, but he was eventually acquitted on lack of evidence.

 The investigation into the events of Aug. 2, 1980, in which 85 people died and over 200 were injured will run for up to six months, according to judge Francesca Zavaglia who reopened the case.

 The emergence of this sort of evidence is unusual in a case of this magnitude, especially since video footage was rare at the time. The video has been in the state archives ever since, but lawyers now believe the mysterious figure could be convicted criminal Bellini.

 This ties in with another key piece of evidence which has recently emerged. Carlo Maria Maggi, formerly boss of paramilitary far-right group Ordine Nuovo and sentenced for the 1974 Brescia massacre, died in December. Before that, however, he had told a family that the Fioravanti group was involved in the Bologna killings, and in particular a certain “airman” had been responsible for transporting the bomb. Bellini was known for his passion for aeroplanes and flying.

 Born in 1953, Bellini was a member of the Avanguardia Nazionale and a key player in the criminal underworld of the so-called Years of Lead in the 1970s and 80s. He was, amongst other things, an expert in art, and lived as a fugitive in Brazil for many years. After his arrest in 1999, he collaborated with prosecutors and admitted to numerous murders, most famously the 1975 killing of Alceste Campanile, member of the communist Lotta Continua.

 Judge Zavalgia will hear the evidence from the prosecution on May 28 to decide whether there is enough to charge Bellini for the killings.

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