Italy, Germany

ABEL, Wolfgang
FURLAN, Marco

Active from 1977 to 1984 in Italy and Germany

DID YOU KNOW...

Political Fact

The killers left neo-Nazi notes and pamphlets with the bodies

Gruesome Fact

Abel and Furlan nailed a cross to the forehead of a Father

Weird Fact

Furlan violated parole and was arrested years later in another country, with millions in cash

THE DISPATCH

The Beginning

In what world do two Neo-Nazis convicted of 10 murders, get 30 years each? In this one. Wolfgang Abel and Marco Furlan, who operated under the single name Ludwig, served even less.

Abel, from West Germany, and Furlan, from Italy, were friends and former students in Verona. Both were well-off, cultured young men from wealthy families. Together, they murdered people, taking credit as Ludwig.

Ludwig was the name they created when they started taunting police and media. It was well into their crime spree when they started leaving Neo-Nazi pamphlets and writings with the bodies of the dead.

The pair targeted anyone they thought was below them, or unacceptable to their Nazi ideals. This included prostitutes, drug addicts, a gay man, and priests. But Abel, the leader of the pair, swore he was never associated with Nazis and claimed himself a liberal.

The Murders

Guerrino Spinelli

Guerrino Spinelli lived a transient life in Verona, often sleeping in his Fiat 126. Their first murder was in August, 1977, when they burned Spinelli to death inside his car, using Molotv coktails. He had been sleeping. The pair decided he was Roma (a gypsy) and worthy of death.

Police found him locked inside and burned to death.

Luciano Stefanato

Luciano Stefanato was the next victim. The gay sommelier was stabbed, possibly as many times as 40 during an attack on December 17, 1978. A security guard close to the scene described hearing 2 young men’s voices, and seeing them near a red Alfa Romeo Giulia. The pair fled the scene and as the guard approached the car, he found Stefanato dead behind the wheel of the luxury car. He died in the Padua parking lot with 2 knives sticking out of his back. He was 44.

Claudio Costa

A year later, on December 12, 1979, Claudio Costa was stabbed to death in Venice for being a drug addict or dealer. Some reports indicate he was gay. Police were notified by an anonymous phone call, but when medical help arrived, he had already died from the approximately 20 stab wounds. Police believe Costa was attacked in Nazario Sauro camp, frequented by homeless drug addicts. He was 22 years old.

First leaflet received

The first of many leaflets and pamphlets are sent to media, explaining the reasoning behind the murders. The documents claimed various murders, usually by name, and espoused Nazi and societal hatred.

Alice Maria Barella

On December 20, 1980, Abel and Furlan had another target. Alice Maria Barella was a prostitute working in Vicenza. She was killed by an axe and hammer, and dismembered or mutilated. Barella was 52.

Two days after Barella was murdered, the editorial staff of Il ‘Gazzettino’ in Mestre received the first of the “Ludwig” pamphlet. This pamphlet claimed responsibility for Barella’s death, and described the hammer used. The leaflet was written with the German alphabet and signed with “Gott mit uns” (God with us) and the Nazi swastika. It was signed “Ludwig”.

Luca Martinotti

On May 24, 1981, student Luca Martinotti died in a fire at the tower of Porta San Giorgio. The tower is a mediaeval gate in Verona that dates back to 1321. The tower’s fortification walls were frequented by people who were homeless, and drug addicts. Martinotti was just 17 years old.

Father Mario Lovato & Father Giovanni Pigato

More than a year later, on July 20, 1982, Abel and Furlan murder two friars at the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Monte Berico in Vicenza. Father Mario Lovato and Father Giovanni Battista Pigato were killed by hammer blows to the heads. They were both friars at the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Monte Berico. They were targeted because they were from the cult of the Madonna, and therefore, by Ludwig’s standards, believed in a false God. Father Lovato was 71 and Father Pigato was 69.

Father Armando Bison

In February, 1983, they attack another priest, but far more viciously. Father Armando Bison was a pedophile, they claimed, based on past allegations against him for sexual abuse. Bison was murdered with a nail in the forehead. To push the nail in further, Abel and Furlan used an awl. To the awl, they attached a crucifix. Witnesses reported seeing two young men with plastic bags in the area.

He died from his injuries on March 8th. He too was a priest, he lived and worked in a convent that took in ‘fallen’ and doubting church servants. He was 71 years old.

Following his murder, another leaflet was sent to media. This one read, “whoever betrays the true God has been punished.”

Arrest Made in Ludwig Case

On March 29, 1983, Pavia professor Silvano Romano was arrested. Police think he was the brain behind Ludwig. They released him on April 6 after realizing he was not involved.

The Eros Fire

Just two months later, on May 14, 1983, Abel and Furlan set fire to Eros, a porn theatre, while patrons were inside. Six die. The Milan fire kills five movie goers – Pasquale Esposito, Ernesto Mauri, Domenico La Sala, Giorgio Fronza, and Elio Molteni – and one passerby, Livio Ceresoli – who tried to help. An estimated 40 more people were injured.

Witnesses to the Eros arson reported seeing 3 men flee the area. There has been significant speculation in the following years that at least 1 more person was involved with Ludwig, and was involved in committing some, but not all, of the murders with Abel and Furlan. That person’s existence has not been verified.

Corinna Tartarotti

Corinna (or Corinne) Tartarotti, a bartender or waitress, working at a Munich nightclub called “Liverpool”. She was the daughter of a ZDF journalist. On January 7, 1984, Abel and Furlan poured gasoline at the crowded disco in Munich and set it ablaze. Tartarotti, was badly injured and 40 others were injured. She did not die in the fire, but died on April 27, 1984 of the injuries she had suffered, at the age of 21.

Rumoured Victims

Some books and reference material indicate Abel and Furlan stabbed to death an unnamed employee of a casino, in Padau in early 1980. He/she was not mentioned in the leaflet following Barella’s murder. We are currently unable to locate original source contemporaneous documentation, and do not include him/her in the total murders attributed to Ludwig.

Many websites say that in December, 1983, Able and Furlan killed 13 people by setting a fire in the “strip club ‘Red House’ in Amsterdam”. The club was called “La Casa Rossa”. Someone else was arrested and found guilty.

Arrest and Trial

Melamara Fire & Arrest

On March 4, 1984, people in Mantua, Italy were celebrating Carnival. Abel and Furlan attempt to set fire to the Melamara disco in Catiglione delle Stivierein. The club held about 400 people dressed in costumes. One of the pair dressed as Pierrot, a pantomime clown character, as they poured gasoline on the carpets.

Bouncers caught the pair pouring gasoline on carpets, and they were arrested. Neither man knew that new building regulations required fire-proof carpeting for public places.

The Trial & Sentence

The trial begins on December 1, 1986 and ends on February 10, 1987. The pair were accused of up to 15 murders.

They were facing 15 charges of murder. Furlan decried the case, claiming at trial the evidence was fabricated and he was set up. Authorities believed Abel was the “mastermind” behind the Ludwig murders.

The Conviction

In February 1987, the trial ended with both Abel and Furlan receiving 30 years each. News reports indicate Abel and Furlan were convicted of the attack in Germany, in an Italian court. Furlan was convicted of killing Spinelli, and Abel was convicted of killing Stefanato.

Newspaper reports vary on the findings. Some report convictions for 5 murders and acquittals for 10 , while others suggest they were found guilty of 10 murders and acquitted on 5 due to lack of evidence.

They were not given life sentences because trial experts declared they were both mentally unstable. Neither man showed up for the rendering of the verdict (it was not required in Italian courts).

Both men were ordered to undergo three years of psychiatric therapy after completing their sentences.

Paroles & Escapes

Furlan's Parole, Flight and Recapture

Marco Furlan was granted parole (a different type of parole than in the USA) and on February 1, 1991, he fled the country for Greece. He worked for three years with a fake ID and when captured, was found to have millions of dollars in cash around his apartment. It was suspected that, because he was associated with Nazism, he had significant financial support from Nazi sympathizers. He was arrested May 17, 1995, and returned to an Italian prison.

Despite working average jobs, Furlan had millions of dollars in cash around his apartment when he was arrested.

Furlan's Release

On January 9, 2009, Furlan was again released on parole. This was his last parole.

Abel's House Arrest

Wolfgang Abel was released on June 6, 2009 to house arrest (like probation) to the villa where his parents lived. He continued to declare his innocence. He said he had done nothing wrong, and “it is as if nothing had happened.” However, he did try to commit suicide 5 times while behind bars. Abel said the fire he tried to set when he was caught was just an act of youthful vandalism, and denied ties with Nazism. He said he was a liberal. Abel was completely released from house arrest, and free of the judicial system, in 2013

Current Locations

Both men were able to find jobs and community. Currently, we believe both Abel and Furlan are living separate lives in relative obscurity.

SIMILAR SERIAL KILLERS

Norbert Hans Poehlke

During the 1980s, serial killer Norbert Hans Poehlke was also working in Germany and Italy

Richard Francis Cottingham

Both Abel and Richard Francis Cottingham, known as the New York Ripper, worked in insurance

Patrick McCullough

Killer Patrick McCullough was born in Anchorage, Alaska USA just 4 days after Furlan was born in Padua, Italy

WHERE IT HAPPENED

A non-interactive map of where things happened

BOOKS

Books about or including Wolfgang Abel and Marco Furlan (AKA Ludwig)

Deadly Duos: Partners In Crime And Their Addiction To Murder by Paul Roland

Publisher : Chartwell Books (Aug. 31 2010)
Language : English
Hardcover : 208 pages
ISBN-10 : 0785826769
ISBN-13 : 978-0785826767

Proving that sometimes it really does take two to tango, this hardcover, full-color edition is a collection of true-life stories which show the very worst that can happen when two evil individuals hook up with each other. Serial killers and sadistic sex murderers are, by nature, solitary predators who keep their sordid secret to themselves until painstaking detective work, profiling, forensics or sheer luck leads to their capture and conviction.

However, an increasing number of these brutal crimes are being perpetrated by two or more individuals acting together. Together they are twice as dangerous, twice as deadly. By working in tandem they can cover each other’s tracks, subdue their struggling victims and dispose of bodies more easily. What makes such seemingly ordinary individuals hunt together, feeding off each other’s addiction to cruelty? Is it a power trip? Do they need the approval of an admiring partner? Or is it just tainted love spiraling out of control?

Fully illustrated with black and white photographs and page decorations, this collection of horror stories is a necessary addition to any true-crime fan’s library. It warms the human heart to see a couple in love. Unless, of course, the couple is one of the deadly duos profiled in this book.

Ludwig by Monica Zornetta

Publisher : Baldini & Castoldi (Aug. 1 2013)
Language : Italian
ISBN-10 : 8868526204
ISBN-13 : 978-8868526207

La storia di Ludwig, l’oscuro gruppo criminale che tra il `77 e l`84 ha rivendicato sei omicidi e tre attentati incendiari. Il libro ripercorre l`arresto e il processo ai due principali sospettati, Wolfgang Abel e Marco Furlan.

Il caso Ludwig by Augusto Caneva

Publisher : Distribuzione Rizzoli (January 1, 1986)
Language : Italian
Paperback : 135 pages
ISBN-10 : 8834201698
ISBN-13 : 978-8834201695

Psychologie Sériových Vrahů (Psychology Of Serial Murderers) by Andrej Drbohlav

Publisher: Grada Publishing (2013)
Language: Czech
ISBN-10: 802474371X
ISBN-13:9788024743714

The book presents the basics of psychology and behavioral pathology of serial killers. As an example of various forms of this pathological phenomenon, it presents brief stories of the most brutal serial killers of today, from their childhood to the current stage of investigation of their acts of violence. field of psychology, etopedy, sociology, behavioral or social pathology, psychiatry or criminology. It presents more than 200 stories of individuals with a highly pathological profile of personality and behavior, and thus shows an overview of the causes and manifestations of evil, violence and pain. The book contains a large number of photographs, letters, psychological analyzes and images created directly by the perpetrator. It points to systemic failures, erroneous judgments of psychiatrists, psychologists, judges and educators. It should serve as a prevention and a call for vigilance. It draws attention to the dangers that can lie in wait for us anywhere.

VIDEOS & PODCASTS

Hall of Crime video on Ludwig (Italian)

Welche Parallelen gibt es zwischen der „Gruppe LUDWIG“ und dem NSU? (German)

Wolfgang Abel is interviewd by Bruno Vespa (Italian)

An informational short about Italian serial killer duo – Abel & Furlan. A student project by Darrell Utecht (English)

THE STATS

Furlan's age at first kill

Abel's age at last kill

Abel's suicide attempts

Injured in the Eros fire

Wolfgang Abel and Marco Furlan in historical timeline

Statistical table for Wolfgang Abel

Killer Name	Abel, Wolfgang
Partnership	Yes
Gender	M
Arrest Date	April 3, 1984
Conviction Date	October 2, 1987
Sentence	30 years
Birth Location	Dusseldorf, West Germany
Birth Date	February 25, 1959
Status	Alive or Unknown
School Other	Mathematics with honours
Job Types	Insurance
Labour Type	White
Marital Status	Unmarried
Killer Type	Anti-social/misogynist/hate, Visionary/Missionary, Organized, Wanderer
Psych Diagnosis	After crimes, he was evaluated as having a reduced understanding of crimes and underdeveloped personality. This finding was heavily disputed
Gore/Nazism	Nazism
Partner Name	Furlan, Marco
Parnter Gender	M
Partner Relation	Friend
comment1	Appeal in June 15, 1988. April 10, 1999 sentenced to 27 years.
comment2	In 2009 Abel was moved to house arrest. He had freedom 11/24/2016.
Total Dead Victims	28
Victims (Suspected)	13
Victims (Convicted)	10
Victims (Misc)	5 acquittals
Victim Gender	Various
Victim Race	Various
Victim Type	Anyone deemed ""unacceptable""
Victim Type 2	movie goers, party goers, prostitutes, gay men, religious figures
Torture	Yes
Overkill	Yes
Mutilation	Yes
Totem-Other	Yes

Statistical table for Marco Furlan

Killer Name	Furlan, Marco
Partnership	Yes
Gender	M
Arrest Date	April 2, 1984
Conviction Date	October 2, 1987
Sentence	30 years
Birth Location	Padua, Italy
Birth Date	January 16, 1960
Status	Alive or Unknown
Job Types	Student
Labour Type	White
Marital Status	Unmarried
Killer Type	Anti-social/misogynist/hate, Visionary/Missionary, Organized, Wanderer
Gore/Nazism	Nazism
Partner Name	Abel, Wolfgang
Parnter Gender	M
Partner Relation	Friend
comment1	Released January 3, 2009
Total Dead Victims	28
Victims (Suspected)	13
Victims (Convicted)	10
Victims (Misc)	5 acquittals
Victim Gender	Various
Victim Race	Various
Victim Type	Anyone deemed ""unacceptable""
Victim Type 2	movie goers, party goers, prostitutes, gay men, religious figures
Torture	Yes
Overkill	Yes
Mutilation	Yes
Totem-Other	Yes
Prison Name	Casale di Scodosia

Killer Rating

 5/5