Following news of Christian Pandolfino’s murder at his Sliema home on Tuesday, his sister Daniela has taken to social media to post a touching tribute. 

“What do I write?” she begins the emotional post, describing the tragedy as senseless, cruel and inexplicable. “Another huge part of my heart has died on Tuesday, two tragedies sixteen years apart, life is so harsh at times.”

“My brother was part of me since I was born, he adored me like few brothers adored their sister. Our bond was not the normal sibling bond, it was so much more. He was my best friend, my mentor, my saviour, my entertainer, my overgrown child. He made me laugh, cry, took me and my son in and made a home for us in the worst of times,” she continues in the heart-breaking tribute, adding that “he also drove me crazy at times, since he was larger than life and lived only by his rules, not caring for social norms or social etiquette, wearing a ton of gold chains to go for breakfast and bermudas to a wedding.”

Daniela goes on to describe “his incredible brain, knowledgeable like few people were, literally a walking encyclopaedia, eloquent, his descriptive rants left everyone in awe of this amazing man. He sang his huge, generous heart out to the opera that he loved so much. And that is how he lived and ended his life, like one of the best operas ever written.”

“Rest in peace, my dear Bambi, I will miss you calling me Celine and part of me has died with you. If some sort of heaven exists, I know that you are there, happy with my darling Nina, who you adored so much,” she ends the post.

The island was shocked at the news of Christian Pandolfino and his partner Ivor Maciejowski’s murder earlier this week, leading to a spate of social media tributes to the pair. The local police are investigating the sad case. Our condolences go out to Daniela and the rest of their family.