In January 1944, the Reggio Calabria prefetto Antonio Priolo appointed Pasquale Cavallaro as mayor of Caulonia, with the support of the Communist Party. He had applied new reforms which led to the seizure of weapons and grain stockpiled by landowners. Moreover, he had requested research be done on the usurpations of state lands. The report revealed that 75% of state lands were illegally owned by some local rich families. Meanwhile, former fascists continued to provoke tensions among civilians.
