In the small village of Vero, Corsica, Alain Orsoni, a 71-year-old former nationalist leader, was shot dead at his mother's funeral. The attack happened suddenly during the ceremony when a single bullet struck him. Orsoni had flown back from exile in Nicaragua to bury his mother. Corsica, a Mediterranean island with 350,000 residents, has seen 35 fatal shootings in just three years, giving it one of France's highest murder rates. The shooting stunned locals. "A cemetery is sacred in Corsica, just like a church," said Orsoni's close friend Jo Peraldi. He added, "Never have I witnessed seeing someone murdered while accompanying their mother to their final resting place." Orsoni, known for his past as a nationalist and criminal figure, was cremated after a service amid heavy police presence. Experts say that as Corsican separatist groups stopped armed campaigns, they shifted to organized crime. Thierry Dominici, a nationalism expert, said, "The French state was so focused on tackling the separatists that it turned a blind eye to their lucrative criminal activities." Unlike Italian mafia, Corsica’s clans operate on opportunism rather than family ties. Gilles Simeoni, president of Corsica's regional authority, described the murder as increasing "mafia pressure that weighs heavily on Corsican society." Orsoni’s family has a long history linked to nationalism and violence. His brother was killed in a clan feud, and his son is jailed for drug trafficking and attempted murder. Orsoni previously ran AC Ajaccio football club, leading it to Ligue 1 with star signings despite a small budget. He lived under constant threat, often wearing a bullet-proof vest and travelling in armored cars. Despite his tough reputation, he once said, "Yes, I'm the godfather, but only to my grandchildren." Security expert Alain Bauer called the killing "inevitable" and warned of more violence. Cardinal François Bustillo, the island's bishop, urged an end to the cycle of revenge, saying, "We cannot allow Corsica to drift towards its demons, we have to change mentalities." The island now waits to see if peace can return.