Strange But True: The Chief Fan

In 1906 a Sicilian nobleman, Count Vincenzo Florio, instituted an automobile race on his native island. It was called the Targa Florio. It was a twisting, rugged course, leading through the Madonie Mountains. Veteran drivers often talked about the Targa Florio. It wasn’t so much the difficult course that drew their attention as much as one of the most interested spectators.

He was a bandit chief who lived in the Madonie Mountains. This chief led an army of about a thousand men. They preyed on travelers and farmers in the region. But they never once tried to stop a car.

Many drivers reported seeing the bandit chief. He sat on a hilltop, enjoying the race, cheering each car that passed. Finally, he stopped watching the race. It was learned that he had been captured and shot.

From The Giant Book of More Strange But True Sports Stories by Howard Liss. Illustrations by Joe Mathieu.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Targa_Florio