An Army's Secret Weapon
Setting aside all the banners, flags, jeeps, and howitzers, Franco’s Italian Army armed itself with one final secret weapon, the malocchio (evil eye). According to Italian American culture, the malocchio was a curse that cast bad luck and misfortune on its recipient.
Having grown up entrenched in the Italian American community of East Liberty, General Stagno equipped his army with a corno (an Italian horn) meant to protect the Steelers by thwarting the curse of the malocchio. Hidden inside this corno was a small ivory hunchback figurine that, according to legend, held the power to cast the malocchio on the Steelers’ foes.
Listen as Al Vento explains the meaning of the malocchio and the cornito.