Compagni di merende
Snack companions
The expression “compagni di merende” is an insult, sometimes used jokingly. It refers to a group of people who, behind an apparently innocent and almost childish activity like having snacks together, plot terrible crimes.
The expression originates from the case of the “Monster of Florence,” a series of murders between 1968 and 1985 near Florence, where eight couples were brutally killed. The term emerged during the trial of Pietro Pacciani, Mario Vanni, and Giancarlo Lotti, accused of committing the murders. During interrogations, Lotti, with limited intellectual capacity, stated that they met to have snacks, a phrase he often repeated in court, even before the judge took his seat.
This seemingly innocent response highlighted the contrast between the apparent normality of their meetings and the brutality of their crimes. The case concluded with life sentences for Vanni and Lotti, while Pacciani died under suspicious circumstances before his retrial. However, the case remained controversial and raised doubts about potential unidentified accomplices.
Today, “compagni di merende” is used to describe individuals who are partners in illicit activities, suggesting a facade of normality that hides nefarious actions. The banality of the term, tied to one of the most horrific cases in Italian criminal history, makes it particularly powerful and symbolic.
Esempi
- I due politici corrotti erano veri compagni di merende. – The two corrupt politicians were true accomplices.
- Gli investigatori hanno scoperto che i truffatori erano compagni di merende da anni. – The investigators discovered that the fraudsters had been accomplices for years.
- Quei due sono sempre insieme, sembra che siano compagni di merende. – Those two are always together, it seems like they are partners in crime.