[1] Shortly before their withdrawal from the area, German soldiers arrived at the Einstein residence, executed Robert's wife and two daughters, and set the house on fire.
[3] In 1944, Robert Einstein, who had lived in Italy for many decades, resided with his family in Rignano sull’Arno, 20 kilometres (12 mi) southeast of Florence, in the Villa Tenuta del Focardo.
His nieces remained locked in the upper part of the house, guarded by a young German soldier who had refused to participate in the murders and was visibly shaken by the events.
British troops soon arrived in the area and Einstein used his famous surname to request an investigation into the murders.
A few days later a scrap of paper was found, alleging that Einstein's family was executed because they were Jewish (they were not), and because they were spies.
Mazzetti visited Germany during the investigation and was convinced that she identified the main perpetrator of the crime after seeing a photo of him.
A court in Rome passed a life sentence in absentia on the former soldier for this massacre, but Germany did not extradite him.