Concetto Formica was born on September 26, 1888, in Sortino, Siracusa, Italy, the son of Vincenzo Formica and Pasqua Castelli. He died on April 28, 1911, in Laurinburg, North Carolina, at the age of 22.

Source: Find A Grave Contributor #47008007.

~~~~~

Italian carnival worker who was killed by an iron rimmed tent stake during an argument. As requested by family, Cancetto was embalmed with request to hold until further instructions were given. The instructions never came and the body was stored in the garage of the funeral home where it became mummified. The story is told in Carnival, by Arthur Lewis, and became better known through the national newspaper Grit. Tourists came from all over to view the man known popularly known as "Spaghetti." He was buried in 1972 by the funeral home.

A bronze plaque bears this inscription:
Cancetto Farmica
Age 23
Died April 28, 1911
Buried September 30, 1972

News article printed by a CBS News affiliate here in N.C.:  LAURINBURG, N.C.--On April 28, 1911, sent by bdmine

Concippio, a musician was murdered by a fellow carnival worker after an argument when he was hit in the head with a tent stake. The carnival and the attack took place in McColl, just over the border in South Carolina, but the injured man was taken to the hospital in nearby Laurinburg.

Doctors operated on Concippio in attempt to save him, but he died about 12 hours later. The body was removed to McDougald Funeral Home in the small Scotland County town.

The story becomes somewhat murky after that. Some say that a decision was made not to try the case due to the expense and the fact that both men were foreigners. Others say that the assailant was actually acquitted.

Regardless, Concippio's body was left at the funeral home where it had been embalmed. A couple of weeks after his death, a man reputed to be his father came to the funeral home and paid an installment to have his son buried and promised to send the rest.

He was not heard from again, so Concippio's body remained in the funeral home for 61 years until it was finally buried in 1972 in Hillside Cemetery in Laurinburg.

Source: Find A Grave Contributor Liz Olmstead.∼Spaghetti was the name posthumously given to the mummy of Consetto Formico, a carnival musician murdered in 1911 during the carnival's visit to nearby McColl, South Carolina, just under 8 miles away from Laurinburg.

Cansetto's father brought his son's body to McDougald funeral home in Laurinburg where it was embalmed. However, the body was never buried because Formico's father did not return with the rest of the bill he had promised to pay. The body was eventually moved to the garage of the funeral home, where it became a local (and macabre) tourist attraction.

In the early 1970s, the sensational story made its way to Congress, and two representatives attempted to pressure the funeral home, still owned by the McDougald family, into burying the body. After learning of the story, Congressman Biaggi of New York initiated the final burial of the mummy, although the funeral home resented the intrusion of Congress. Two years later, the body was finally buried after members of the local community offered to pay for it.

"The politicians became interested, particularly an Italian congressman from New York. He and Rep. Charles Diggs (D-Michigan) tried to pressure Hewitt into burying Spaghetti. At one point, representatives of the state attorney general's office came around. Then the Italian congressman sent $15 by mail (postage paid by the U.S. government) to pay for the burial. Hewitt [McDougald] sent it back. The only message was 'This stamp paid for by McDougald's.' Finally, in 1972, a group of townspeople headed toward the aging brick mansion which serves as a funeral home. They wanted to buy the top of the line, put Spaghetti in it and bury all the publicity."

Spaghetti was buried in Hillside Cemetery, Laurinburg.

Concetto Formica was born on September 26, 1888, in Sortino, Siracusa, Italy, the son of Vincenzo Formica and Pasqua Castelli. He died on April 28, 1911, in Laurinburg, North Carolina, at the age of 22.

Source: Find A Grave Contributor #47008007.

~~~~~

Italian carnival worker who was killed by an iron rimmed tent stake during an argument. As requested by family, Cancetto was embalmed with request to hold until further instructions were given. The instructions never came and the body was stored in the garage of the funeral home where it became mummified. The story is told in Carnival, by Arthur Lewis, and became better known through the national newspaper Grit. Tourists came from all over to view the man known popularly known as "Spaghetti." He was buried in 1972 by the funeral home.

A bronze plaque bears this inscription:
Cancetto Farmica
Age 23
Died April 28, 1911
Buried September 30, 1972

News article printed by a CBS News affiliate here in N.C.:  LAURINBURG, N.C.--On April 28, 1911, sent by bdmine

Concippio, a musician was murdered by a fellow carnival worker after an argument when he was hit in the head with a tent stake. The carnival and the attack took place in McColl, just over the border in South Carolina, but the injured man was taken to the hospital in nearby Laurinburg.

Doctors operated on Concippio in attempt to save him, but he died about 12 hours later. The body was removed to McDougald Funeral Home in the small Scotland County town.

The story becomes somewhat murky after that. Some say that a decision was made not to try the case due to the expense and the fact that both men were foreigners. Others say that the assailant was actually acquitted.

Regardless, Concippio's body was left at the funeral home where it had been embalmed. A couple of weeks after his death, a man reputed to be his father came to the funeral home and paid an installment to have his son buried and promised to send the rest.

He was not heard from again, so Concippio's body remained in the funeral home for 61 years until it was finally buried in 1972 in Hillside Cemetery in Laurinburg.

Source: Find A Grave Contributor Liz Olmstead.∼Spaghetti was the name posthumously given to the mummy of Consetto Formico, a carnival musician murdered in 1911 during the carnival's visit to nearby McColl, South Carolina, just under 8 miles away from Laurinburg.

Cansetto's father brought his son's body to McDougald funeral home in Laurinburg where it was embalmed. However, the body was never buried because Formico's father did not return with the rest of the bill he had promised to pay. The body was eventually moved to the garage of the funeral home, where it became a local (and macabre) tourist attraction.

In the early 1970s, the sensational story made its way to Congress, and two representatives attempted to pressure the funeral home, still owned by the McDougald family, into burying the body. After learning of the story, Congressman Biaggi of New York initiated the final burial of the mummy, although the funeral home resented the intrusion of Congress. Two years later, the body was finally buried after members of the local community offered to pay for it.

"The politicians became interested, particularly an Italian congressman from New York. He and Rep. Charles Diggs (D-Michigan) tried to pressure Hewitt into burying Spaghetti. At one point, representatives of the state attorney general's office came around. Then the Italian congressman sent $15 by mail (postage paid by the U.S. government) to pay for the burial. Hewitt [McDougald] sent it back. The only message was 'This stamp paid for by McDougald's.' Finally, in 1972, a group of townspeople headed toward the aging brick mansion which serves as a funeral home. They wanted to buy the top of the line, put Spaghetti in it and bury all the publicity."

Spaghetti was buried in Hillside Cemetery, Laurinburg.