Made a plan

A 22-year-old Italian casino dealer who killed his roommate and his roommate’s fiancée is said to have acted out of jealousy, according to a former roommate.

Four days before Christmas in 2022, Andrea Cardinale killed 26-year-old Antonio “Nino” Calabro, and Calabro’s fiancée, 20-year-old Francesca Di Dio, with a knife and sledgehammer. In the early hours of December 21, Cardinale walked into Antonio’s bedroom, where he was sleeping with Di Dio, and killed Antonio with the sledgehammer.

Di Dio fled, running up the stairs with Cardinale chasing her. On CCTV, Cardinale was seen dragging Di Dio down to the basement, carrying a knife and wearing a balaclava. The former roommate said he found out about the crime when a security lady at the casino called to see if they had Cardinale’s number.

Andrea had calmly and collectively made a plan”

The roommate said: “I thought they’d had an argument that had got out of hand. But Andrea had calmly and collectively made a plan. He put a balaclava on – that’s not just a moment of madness.”

The bodies were discovered the next day by Cardinale’s father. He had flown to the UK after becoming concerned about his son’s behavior. Cardinale pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter because of diminished responsibility.

On October 25, he was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order at Rampton secure hospital in Nottinghamshire. He will only be released once psychiatrists deem him no longer a threat to the public.

Socially awkward

Cardinale and Calabro met at a dealer school in Sicily before travelling to the UK together where they both worked at the Grosvenor Casino in Stockton. They also shared a flat.

Cardinale was ”quiet” and “socially awkward.”

According to the former flatmate, Calabro called Cardinale his brother and tried to help him despite his “mental health problems.” The roommate added that while everyone loved Calabro because of his personality, Cardinale was ”quiet” and “socially awkward.”

”There was lots of jealousy involved,” said the former roommate. ”Nino had a girlfriend, he was popular.”

Even though the former roommate had left the house before the killing took place, they believe it wasn’t just mental illness that played a part.

”He was jealous that Nino had such a supportive family and he had a girlfriend,” they said.