ITALIAN gangsters kidnapped a man and dissolved his body in acid by mistake after they thought he was the lover of a fellow clansman’s sister.

Giulio Giaccio was 26 years old when he was killed by men connected to the Camorra Mafia, a criminal organisation started in Naples in the 18th century.

On July 30, 2000, Giulio was with a friend near his home in Pianura, a western suburb of Naples, when he was kidnapped by thugs pretending to be police officers.

During the kidnap, he repeatedly told the fake officers that his name was not Salvatore, his friend later told investigators.

It was a case of mistaken identity with the captors targeting him because they had been told he was sleeping with the sister of a mafia boss.

She was also the niece of another important figure within the clan who was arrested for taking part in Giulio’s murder.

Salvatore Cammarota, 56, and Carlo Nappi, 64, were arrested in December 2022 for ordering the hit that resulted in Giulio’s death.

Alessandro Motta, a lawyer representing the victim’s family revealed the tragic murder plot and Giulio’s haunting last words.

Motta said: “[The hitmen] were after a man called Salvatore who was accused of having an affair with Cammarota’s niece, who had been the partner of a clan member, and they were told he would be at a certain place at a certain time.

“Killers sent by the bosses showed up dressed as police officers and ordered the man into their car but they had got Giaccio by mistake.

“The last thing he said was, ‘Officer, you’ve made a mistake, I came from a good family,’ before they shot him once in the head.”

His bloodied body was driven to Cammarota as proof where the mafia boss dumped Giulio on the floor to kick and punch his lifeless body.

They then smashed his teeth with a hammer and dissolved his remains in acid.

Whatever was left was scattered near Giulio’s home town.

Cammarota and Nappi, who were turned in by Roberto Perrone, a former mafioso turned informant, offered Giulio’s family “compensation” for the mistake in a desperate bid for clemency.

Ahead of their trial in 2023, the two thugs offered €60,000 (£49,000) plus property worth €120,000 (£99,000) as an apology.

Under Italian law, if accused criminals offer compensation to victims or their families they could get up to a third taken off their sentence.

But Giulio’s family refused to accept the offer, instead wanting true justice for the man whose body “they couldn’t even cry over,” Motta said.

He added: “No money will bring back the life of Giulio.

“After 23 years, the family believes in the justice system, in which they have confidence.”

The family requested that the pair get “the most severe punishment.”

Both men were sentenced to 30 years in prison while Perrone who was one of the hitmen and the informant got 10 years.

The investigation also led to the arrests of fellow mafia men Raffaele D’Alterio, Luigi De Cristofaro, and Salvatore Simioli who were also involved in the killing.

They were all sentenced to 30 years.

Motta told local media: “Justice has been done.

“We are satisfied with the sentences, but now Giulio must be declared innocent victim of Camorra.”