Hi folks, I have started a timeline and added translations of Italian MSM info, esp. Chi l'ha visto for those who don't know Italian. Hopefully, this will be helpful to everyone, not just those who are new to the case. The main thing is that it's there for reference. I'll keep updating it. I know it's not complete but that's what I have time to do so far. Below is the first draft. It is saved as a thread on
Missing! Media, Maps, Timelines *NO DISCUSSION*
16 Sept 2021
13h approx. - Antonino Coppola (AC) is travelling by tube to Bromley-by-Bow with C., close friend and flatmate, both from Positano, Italy. They are moving house and have suitcases with them. But shortly before reaching their destination, AC says he feels sick and they get off at Bow Road. AC tells his friend to stay on the platform with the luggage whilst he goes looking for a toilet. In C.'s words when interviewed on the phone by TV programme Chi l'ha visto of 29 Sept:
He said "don't come with me or you'll have to take the luggage with you". I waited on the platform. Half-an-hour, 25 mins later, I started to worried and I went out wilth all the luggage. In the first camera where we could see Antonino, you can see he vomits, lifts his head, walks and turns round. Because there you see that he vomits but afterwards it's as if he turns is head for fear that people might have seen him vomiting. But why did he not return to the station afterwards?
17 Sept 2021
9.45h - Richmond Upon Thames police's first appeal:
Antonino Coppola aged 23 hasn't been seen since 16/09/21.
Antonino is Italian, is slim build & 6ft tall. He was wearing a white t-shirt, black trousers and orange Nike trainers.
Believed to have gotten off a train at Bow street at 1300 and hasn't been seen since. (source: Richmond Upon Thames Police | Facebook )
20 Sept 2021
The Mirror publishes an article with quotes from AC's mother. Mum of missing man, 23, 'dying' to find him as disappearance is 'out of character' - Mirror Online
Chi l'ha Visto publishes details of AC's disappearance, including a photo of his backpack. Although in Italian, the basic details are fairly clear. The bottom paragraph says:
Antonino, 23, from Positano, has lived and worked in London for a couple of years as manager. On Thursday 16 September, at around 13h, he got off at Bow Road railway station and from that moment there have been no news about it. He did not return home. It is not known if he had his ID with him or his mobile phone which appears to have been turned off. He speaks English very well.
22 Sept 2021
21.30h - Chi l'ha Visto first live appeal and interview with AC's mum Translation of appeal and conversation between journalist Emily de Cesare (EdC) and Mariella, AC's mum:
EdC: Good evening everyone, we are here in Positano because Antonino is from Positano. As you can see, there are many friends here supporting the family, including the major, because there is really a lot of concern. Antonino went missing in London, on Thursday 16 September. Mariella, your son has been living in London for two years, he speaks the language well. Antonino was in a good place, he was very happy because he had found a new job and the day he went missing, he was going to live in a new house with a friend. What happened was, whilst on the train with suitcases, at one point Antonino told his friend that he felt unwell, he was about to throw up and could not hold it back any longer. His friend said "Let's get off at the next stop, so you are not sick here (on the train)". When they got off, Antonino said "Wait for me here with the suitcases and I go looking for a toilet". Well, Antonino exited that tube station which is called Bow Road Station, there is a camera that has captured him going out (of the station) feeling unwell, but then he's out of the picture and we don't know where he went. The only thing we know is that he turned right. As we were saying, there is a lot of concern as the presence of all these people demonstrates, Antonino is a happy young man, he hasn't got any problem, but he had some health issues the week before. What happened, Mariella?
Mum: Antonino has allergies, he's asthmatic and he goes through phases when his asthma flares up. Antonino had left his inhaler at home, they were on the tube and he had an asthma attack, so they got worried, they called an ambulance and he was taken to hospital where he received treatment straight away and he was fine, as I spoke to him afterwards...
EdC: So only a week earlier he had felt unwell. That day he told his friend again that he was unwell, but the problem is that he's vanished into thin air. Even the Italian Consulate in London has become involved, they have been looking for him, also in hospitals, but unfortunately, there are no news about Antonino. He had ID documents with him in his backpack. When he left the tube station, he was carrying his backpack. We don't know if he felt unwell later, put it down somewhere and someone found it. We can also show a photo of the backpack. If anyone finds it, could they please contact us, as it would be important. At least we might understand which way he went. We know there's a large community of Italians following us in London. So we're appealing to them in the first place: if anyone in that area, Bow Road Station, knows someone, maybe shops with CCTV, if they could check whether Antonino walked past and see which direction he took, that would be important. Mariella, as a mum, she was saying that it's a living nightmare. Because there absolutely no reason why Antonino should have gone away. Also, he speaks (English) well, he's well-travelled, right?
Mum: Yes, he has travelled. He went to Australian before he turned 19 and stayed there for six months. He's smart, he knows how to relate to people, he's not an introvert, he's an extrovert. Our worry is that he felt unwell because he had no reason to leave his friend there with the luggage. As a mum, I'd ask anyone who happened to be in the area and saw Antonino leaving the station, feeling unwell, please call. Put yourself in my shoes, please... anyone who maybe now looks at Antonino's photo, if they have seen him, please call.
EdC: And another thing, mum is here but dad and brother are in London. So, any Italian who is watching us, if you have friends in London, please share Antonino's photo as much as you can. We're live, so if any important information comes through, we can communicate these immediately to your husband and your son. Because they are doing everything they can. The hope is that maybe Antonino hasn't been traced yet, because he didn't have ID on him...
Mum: Maybe he lost his backpack, maybe he's in hospital and they don't know who he is. Maybe by looking at the photograph, they can identify him. That's my hope tonight.
EdC: We have a photo of the backpack. It was on 16 September at around 1pm. His friend waited for about 20 mins below on the platform then he started looking for him immediately, he looked all around and after a couple of hours he alerted the family straight away. Therefore, the search, as much as possible, started at once and the family was informed.
Mum: That day Antonino was wearing a white top, black trousers and orange Nike shoes. And a black leather backpack which he never parted from.
EdC: All his friends, everyone in Positano has started to share the news on social media. I have been in Positano since yesterday and people have been telling me how they have contacted anyone they know in London. That has not been enough so far, which is why we are appealing to everyone watching us to share Antonino's photo, it's very important. And if you know anyone in the area, if they can look at CCTV. At the moment, we don't know what they are doing in London, but as we know from experience, the more people look and search, the more likely is that we find Antonino. (...)
Mum: Antonino is never still: "Let's make fettuccine by hand, let's do this, let's do that"... here I made a video of him making fettuccine pasta by hand.
EdC: Everyone has told me, not just the family, that Antonino would have never gone away without letting the family know, so there's a lot of concern, because there's evidently a danger that something has happened to him. Also because there's CCTV showing him going out of the station and feeling sick. It's very clear to those who saw the CCTV that he was very unwell. We don't understand why he did not go back.
29 Sept 2021
21.30h - Chi l'ha Visto second appeal, not live this time. Below are key points (sorry, no time to translate every word):
- Still no news about Antonino’s whereabouts.
- Antonino's friend, C., gives a brief account of what happened in a phone interview (see translated trascript at the top of this thread - 16 September) and it is mentioned that C has posted appeals on Instagram.
- It’s confirmed that he turned right as he came out of the station.
- Last week’s appeal generated a great response, esp. people wanting to help, both in London and in Italy, appeals has been widely shared, but no concrete leads.
The whole episode of 29 Sept is available at Chi l'ha visto? - RaiPlay until Wed 6 Oct. You need to register to watch Rai programmes but it’s safe and easily done from UK. For Antonino’s case you must fast forward half an hour or so into the programme. Hopefully, there will be a direct link to the specific clip after the main episode has been taken down.
