Franco Merli (1925-1944) was a young Italian man who was one of the fourteen youths taken captive by the National Fascist Party during the 120 Days of Sodom in 1944. He was prideful and youthful, and the fascist leaders initially intended to kill him halfway through the four-month ordeal, only to promise him a worse death later. At the end of the ordeal, he was killed by having his tongue cut out which led to him bleeding out.