By . Nick Pisa . Mafia hitmen have shot dead a convicted mobster, his girlfriend and her two-year-old son after forcing them off the road in high speed chase. Target Cosimo Orlando, 43, with travelling in a car with his new partner Carla Maria Fornari, 30 and her son Domenico. The trio were killed instantly after hitmen forced their car off the road and then opened fire with machine guns riddling it with bullets - amazingly two other children inside survived. The child, named as Domenico, was travelling in a car with his mother Carla Maria Fornari, 30 and her new partner and target Cosimo Orlando, 43 . The hit happened at Palagiano, near Taranto, in the southern Italian region of Puglia - popular with British holidaymakers - and in the heartland of the local mafia known as the Sacra Corona Unita. Pictures from the scene showed the red Daewoo Matiz in which the family were travelling pushed up against a barrier, while a silver funeral hearse was parked nearby and police examined the road. Police said that Orlando had been released on parole after being convicted of a double murder in 1998 which was linked to rivalry over lucrative drugs markets. While Fornari's first husband and father of the three children, Domenico Petruzzelli, himself a known mobster was murdered three years ago. Mafia hitmen have shot dead a convicted mobster, his girlfriend and her two-year-old son after forcing them off the road in high speed chase . She was driving the car, while Orlando was sat in the front seat with her three year old son on his lap, in the back their were her other two children aged six and seven years old who were unhurt. All three were killed instantly in the hit which happened late on Monday night and apart from the two children - who are now in police protection - there were no witnesses. A police spokesman said: 'This was a massacre, simple as that. The child stood no chance and was killed instantly along with his mother and Orlando. The hit happened at Palagiano, near Taranto, in the southern Italian region of Puglia - popular with British holidaymakers - and in the heartland of the local mafia known as the Sacra Corona Unita . Mafia hitmen have shot dead a convicted mobster, his girlfriend and her two-year-old son after forcing them off the road in high speed chase . 'We are investigating all possibilities - although we believe that Orlando was probably the intended target we have to remember that his partner was also married to a murdered criminal. 'There could be several motives revenge or drugs both Orlando and Petruzzelli had connections to drugs trafficking and they were both involved with organised crime. 'The only witnesses are the two children who are in a secret location with police and hopefully they will be able to give us some clues.' It is not the first time that children have been innocent victims as a result of mob hits - earlier this year another three year old boy was murdered after gunmen targeted a car he was travelling in killing two men as well. Police revealed Domenico, was named after his father who was shot dead three months before he was born. They said he was two and a half adding that he would have turned three in August. The other two children were named as Mauro, seven and Davide, six. Laura Gioia, the headteacher of the primary school they attended, said:'We must now think of them, all our thoughts are with Mauro and Davide. They are two lovely boys and so was little Domenico. 'The whole family has been marred by tragedy, first the father, now the mother and her youngest child. We must protect them from the terrible memories that they will have and that will probably never leave them.' Today even the Italian PM Matteo Renzi expressed his shock at the killings saying:'This is a painful atrocity and I feel it first as a father and then as premier,' adding that he had been in touch with Taranto's police chief for a full briefing on the shootings. Rosy Bindi, president of the Italian parliament anti mafia commission, said:'This slaughter at Taranto with the murder of a child, shows even if it were still necessary the brutality of mafia violence, they know no morals. 'This is confirmation that there is no mafia code and it has never existed. They have always killed, even women and children. I hope that those responsible are caught quickly as well as those that ordered this slaughter. This murders must be stopped and punished quickly. 'My thought go also to the two children who escaped this slaughter. Now they must have the support of the institutional authorities to rebuild their lives as quickly as possible to guarantee them some sort of future and normal life, avoiding that they are conditioned by crime.' The interior minister Angelinio Alfano deployed 60 extra officers to the area to help in the hunt for the killers and ensure law and order was maintained. Local priest father Francesco Zito, of Pagliano, who knew the victims said: 'There are no words to describe this. I am not going to get involved in the background of their private lives - an adult can make a mistake and answer to his conscience but a two and a half year old child ? There is no need to comment further.' Mayor Gaetano Tarasco said:'I think Carla was killed because she was going out with Orlando. She was killed because of who she knew and who she was seeing. 'There was nothing about her linked to organised crime - her children were her life. This is a painful act, ferocious act which has claimed innocent victims and leaves the town a little worried. Drugs are an increasing problem here and in the surrounding area and we need more police.' Locals in the town also said that Carla had testified against the two men who had killed her husband and who had been jailed for life prompting speculation that may also have been a motive.
The target of the hit was  Cosimo Orlando, 43, who was a convicted criminal .
The child, Domenico, was travelling with mother Carla Maria Fornari, 30 .
Opened fire with machine guns riddling the car with bullets .
Amazingly two other children inside survived and are now under protection .
By . Nick Pisa . Mafia hitmen have shot dead a convicted mobster, his girlfriend and her two-year-old son after forcing them off the road in high speed chase. Target Cosimo Orlando, 43, with travelling in a car with his new partner Carla Maria Fornari, 30 and her son Domenico. The trio were killed instantly after hitmen forced their car off the road and then opened fire with machine guns riddling it with bullets - amazingly two other children inside survived. The child, named as Domenico, was travelling in a car with his mother Carla Maria Fornari, 30 and her new partner and target Cosimo Orlando, 43 . The hit happened at Palagiano, near Taranto, in the southern Italian region of Puglia - popular with British holidaymakers - and in the heartland of the local mafia known as the Sacra Corona Unita. Pictures from the scene showed the red Daewoo Matiz in which the family were travelling pushed up against a barrier, while a silver funeral hearse was parked nearby and police examined the road. Police said that Orlando had been released on parole after being convicted of a double murder in 1998 which was linked to rivalry over lucrative drugs markets. While Fornari's first husband and father of the three children, Domenico Petruzzelli, himself a known mobster was murdered three years ago. Mafia hitmen have shot dead a convicted mobster, his girlfriend and her two-year-old son after forcing them off the road in high speed chase . She was driving the car, while Orlando was sat in the front seat with her three year old son on his lap, in the back their were her other two children aged six and seven years old who were unhurt. All three were killed instantly in the hit which happened late on Monday night and apart from the two children - who are now in police protection - there were no witnesses. A police spokesman said: 'This was a massacre, simple as that. The child stood no chance and was killed instantly along with his mother and Orlando. The hit happened at Palagiano, near Taranto, in the southern Italian region of Puglia - popular with British holidaymakers - and in the heartland of the local mafia known as the Sacra Corona Unita . Mafia hitmen have shot dead a convicted mobster, his girlfriend and her two-year-old son after forcing them off the road in high speed chase . 'We are investigating all possibilities - although we believe that Orlando was probably the intended target we have to remember that his partner was also married to a murdered criminal. 'There could be several motives revenge or drugs both Orlando and Petruzzelli had connections to drugs trafficking and they were both involved with organised crime. 'The only witnesses are the two children who are in a secret location with police and hopefully they will be able to give us some clues.' It is not the first time that children have been innocent victims as a result of mob hits - earlier this year another three year old boy was murdered after gunmen targeted a car he was travelling in killing two men as well. Police revealed Domenico, was named after his father who was shot dead three months before he was born. They said he was two and a half adding that he would have turned three in August. The other two children were named as Mauro, seven and Davide, six. Laura Gioia, the headteacher of the primary school they attended, said:'We must now think of them, all our thoughts are with Mauro and Davide. They are two lovely boys and so was little Domenico. 'The whole family has been marred by tragedy, first the father, now the mother and her youngest child. We must protect them from the terrible memories that they will have and that will probably never leave them.' Today even the Italian PM Matteo Renzi expressed his shock at the killings saying:'This is a painful atrocity and I feel it first as a father and then as premier,' adding that he had been in touch with Taranto's police chief for a full briefing on the shootings. Rosy Bindi, president of the Italian parliament anti mafia commission, said:'This slaughter at Taranto with the murder of a child, shows even if it were still necessary the brutality of mafia violence, they know no morals. 'This is confirmation that there is no mafia code and it has never existed. They have always killed, even women and children. I hope that those responsible are caught quickly as well as those that ordered this slaughter. This murders must be stopped and punished quickly. 'My thought go also to the two children who escaped this slaughter. Now they must have the support of the institutional authorities to rebuild their lives as quickly as possible to guarantee them some sort of future and normal life, avoiding that they are conditioned by crime.' The interior minister Angelinio Alfano deployed 60 extra officers to the area to help in the hunt for the killers and ensure law and order was maintained. Local priest father Francesco Zito, of Pagliano, who knew the victims said: 'There are no words to describe this. I am not going to get involved in the background of their private lives - an adult can make a mistake and answer to his conscience but a two and a half year old child ? There is no need to comment further.' Mayor Gaetano Tarasco said:'I think Carla was killed because she was going out with Orlando. She was killed because of who she knew and who she was seeing. 'There was nothing about her linked to organised crime - her children were her life. This is a painful act, ferocious act which has claimed innocent victims and leaves the town a little worried. Drugs are an increasing problem here and in the surrounding area and we need more police.' Locals in the town also said that Carla had testified against the two men who had killed her husband and who had been jailed for life prompting speculation that may also have been a motive.
machine guns riddling it with bullets - amazingly two other children inside survived. The child, named as Domenico, was travelling in a car with his mother Carla Maria Fornari, 30 and her new partner and target Cosimo Orlando, 43 . The hit who are now in police protection - there were no