  Collapse-induced thermonuclear explosion (CITE) may explain core-collapse
supernovae (CCSNe). We present a preliminary analysis of the neutrino signal
predicted by CITE and compare it to the neutrino burst of SN1987A. For strong
CCSNe, as SN1987A, CITE predicts a proto-neutron star (PNS) accretion phase,
accompanied by the corresponding neutrino luminosity, that can last a few
seconds and that is cut-off abruptly by black hole (BH) formation. The neutrino
luminosity can later be revived by accretion disc emission after a dead time of
few to a few ten seconds. In contrast, the neutrino mechanism for CCSNe
predicts a shorter PNS accretion phase, followed by a slowly declining PNS
cooling luminosity. We repeat statistical analyses used in the literature to
interpret the neutrino mechanism, and apply them to CITE. The first 1-2 sec of
the neutrino burst are equally compatible with CITE and with the neutrino
mechanism. However, the data hints to a luminosity drop at t=2-3 sec, in some
tension with the neutrino mechanism while being naturally attributed to BH
formation in CITE. The occurrence of neutrino events at 5 sec in SN1987A
suggests that the accretion disc formed by that time. We perform 2D numerical
simulations, showing that CITE may be able to accommodate this disc formation
time while reproducing the ejected $^{56}$Ni mass and ejecta kinetic energy
within factors 2-3 of observations. We estimate the disc neutrino luminosity
and show that it can roughly match the data. This suggests that direct BH
formation is compatible with the neutrino burst of SN1987A. With current
neutrino detectors, the neutrino burst of the next Galactic CCSN may give us
front-row seats to the formation of an event horizon in real time. Access to
phenomena near the event horizon motivates the construction of a few Megaton
neutrino detector that should observe extragalactic CCSNe on a yearly basis.
