His cousin Kolë Llaçi was member of the Communist Group of Korçë (where he had migrated) and died in September 1941 in the prison of Voskopojë after being arrested by the Italians.

Victor Emmanuel III decided to visit Albania on April 12, 1941 and he arrived one month later, after being reassured by the Italian fascist police of Tirana that all security measures had been taken.

He got a job at the Hotel International where Victor Emmanuel would stay, and borrowed a Beretta M1915 pistol from Pëllumb Koka, another Albanian patriot.

[3][4] After the assassination attempt, the Italian sources in Rome accused Greece of being behind Laçi and called him a "Greek-Macedonian named Mihailoff Vasillaci" (di origine grecomacedone).

The Italian fascist government attributed his attack to economic issues he had with Shefqet Bej Vërlaci, to prevent possible uprisings of the Albanian people.