An international rugby player and his physiotherapist brother have been arrested on suspicion of beating a father of four to death outside a nightclub in Italy.
Antonio Perrotta, 34, was allegedly attacked after a fight broke out inside the venue in the early hours of Sunday, August 9. The altercation continued outside, where Perrotta was reportedly beaten. Friends found him on the ground and took him home to Fuscaldo, unaware of the severity of his injuries.
Victim died in hospital
His condition deteriorated at home, and he was taken to a hospital in Cetraro before being transferred to another facility in Cosenza. Despite medical efforts, he died at around 6.30am on Monday, August 10.
CCTV footage and witness statements led police to identify the suspects, who were arrested in Belvedere Marittimo on August 11. They had reportedly bought plane tickets and were preparing to leave Italy. The suspects have been named as brothers Domenico and Umberto Orsino, originally from Calabria but living in Luxembourg.
Suspects identified
Domenico, 22, plays for the Luxembourg national rugby team, while Umberto, 24, works as a physiotherapist. One line of inquiry is that the altercation began because the brothers entered the venue without paying.
Perrotta worked as a manual labourer but also took on part-time security work at the Il Castello nightclub to support his wife, Alba, and their four children. The Giorgio La Pira volunteer association in Cosenza, which knew Perrotta, said he worked in private security during night hours.
Nightclub statement
Il Castello has said Perrotta "was not part of the venue's staff" and that "no violent incident took place inside the nightclub or in the area directly outside it". The club's assertions are under investigation, with some accounts suggesting Perrotta was acquainted with the club's security staff and may have been employed unofficially.
