A man out for an early morning stroll made a shocking discovery on Tuesday when he realized that the body of Mike Bongiorno had been stolen from a family tomb.
Mike Bongiorno passed away on September 8, 2009 at the age of 85 and was laid to rest in the village of Arona. The American-born Italian TV host is best remembered as the “il Re de Quiz” (the King of Quiz) and was often considered the most popular game show host in Italy.
Police suspect that a gang of at least four people orchestrated the abhorrent graveyard robbery. The thieves broke into the family tomb after the cemetery had closed and removed the casket containing Mike Bongiorno's remains.
This is not the first body snatching that was occurred in the area. A few years ago, the community was shaken by the theft of Enrico Cuccia’s coffin.
While no formal demands have been made, many suspect that Bongiorno’s body may have been stolen for ransom.
