L'Italo-Americano

I t is a lovely day of s p r i n g , M a r c h 2 7 , 1995, as the clocks strike 8.30 a.m. in Milan. A t t h a t v e r y m o m e n t , Maurizio Gucci enters a b u i l d i n g a t c e n t r a l V i a Palestro 20 where his office is located. The 45-year old gentle- man is elegantly dressed. He is the former chairman of G u c c i , t h e l a s t s c i o n o f a dynasty of designers who elevated stylish leather to a place of honor in high fash- ion. The family empire was founded in Florence in 1921 by his grandfather Guccio Gucci, who had five chil- d r e n — s o n s A l d o , E n z o , Rodolfo, Vasco and the only daughter Grimalda. Maurizio is the only son of Rodolfo, an ex-actor then s t y l i s t w h o d e s i g n e d t h e Flora scarf for Grace Kelly, a very loyal Gucci client. Like any other morning, t h e p o r t e r G i u s e p p e Onorato greets Maurizio with a smile and says: "Good morning, doctor" as an hon- orific while the lobby door o p e n s . M a u r i z i o a p p e a r s completely unafraid. Within a few seconds, a man comes out of nowhere to fire three shots at Mr. Gucci's back as he goes up the steps. The fourth shot to his head fin- ishes him off. Gucci collaps- es and dies in the red-car- peted foyer of his office. Before walking away, the assassin turns his gun on the building's janitor: two bul- l e t s p i e r c e h i s a r m a n d s h o u l d e r . T h e n t h e k i l l e r flees in his green popular French car double parked in the road. An accomplice is w a i t i n g f o r h i m t o s p e e d a w a y . B e s i d e s O n o r a t o , a n o t h e r p e r s o n , a y o u n g female employee, is witness to the crime. She notices a baseball cap on the murder- er's head. P o l i c e i m m e d i a t e l y thought the killing was the work of a professional hit- man due to the precision of the shooting. D i d M a u r i z i o h a v e a n a l l e g e d u n s e t t l e d d e b t i n Japan? Was he working on a c o n t r o v e r s i a l p r o j e c t i n Switzerland? Or did his vio- lent death had to do with a legal battle within the Gucci family? Over the previous two decades, a familial civil war t u r n e d b r o t h e r a g a i n s t brother and nephews against uncles. Rivalry, secrecy and s u s p i c i o n w e r e p r o v i n g detrimental to the interests of the brand, resulting in mismanagement, disorgani- zation and financial mis- takes. A f t e r R o d o l f o d i e d i n 1983, Maurizio inherited his father's majority stake in the company. He wanted full control of the business and took over its direction. But his finances were in the red. Five years later in 1988, he sold nearly half of the com- p a n y t o a B a h r a i n - b a s e d investment fund that already owned Tiffany. In 1993, he was forced to sign the com- p a n y a w a y t o t h e s a m e investment fund for $170 million. Destruction was occurring in his private affairs as well. I n 1 9 7 2 , h e h a d m a r r i e d P a t r i z i a M a r t i n e l l i Reggiani when they were both 24. She was a beautiful, mysterious girl with stun- ning and shockingly violet e y e s r e m i n i s c e n t o f L i z Taylor. G u c c i ' s f a t h e r R o d o l f o didn't approve of their mar- riage. On the day of their wedding, he flew to the US. H e d i d n ' t l i k e P a t r i z i a ' s strong personality. And she was not part of Milan's high s o c i e t y - - s h e g r e w u p i n Vignola, a little town famous for its deep red, sweet cher- ries. P a t r i z i a d e s c r i b e d t h e beginning of their love story a s s i m i l a r t o t h a t o f t h e Capulets and Montagues in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. They were so happy. They lived the high life at Piazza San Babila in the heart of Milan. Their love nest was a 1,800 square meter pent- h o u s e a p a r t m e n t w i t h a swimming pool, a hanging t r o p i c a l g a r d e n a n d a n entire floor used as a party room. Patrizia Reggiani, or " L a d y G u c c i , " w a s a socialite who was spending $9,000 a month on orchids alone. They drove Ferrari cars, r o m a n t i c a l l y s a i l e d o n super-yachts. They owned a ski chalet in Saint Moritz, a holiday home in Acapulco, a penthouse in New York and a farm in Connecticut. T h e i r f i r s t b a b y g i r l , A l e s s a n d r a , w a s b o r n i n 1 9 7 7 . T h e s e c o n d f e m a l e child, Allegra, was welcomed in 1981. But La Dolce Vita turned sour. I n t h e s p r i n g o f 1 9 8 5 , Maurizio told his wife that he was going on a business trip. He packed a suitcase and left. The following day, he sent a friend to tell her that he would not be return- i n g : t h e m a r r i a g e w a s over. What was happening to the married couple's emo- tional world, not just the material or external circum- stances? After they were divorced in 1991, Patrizia was award- e d t h e e q u i v a l e n t o f $500,000 in annual alimo- ny. But nothing seemed to ward off the bitterness that f l o o d e d h e r m i n d . Resentment increased when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1992. The tumor was removed without any apparent ill effects, but the acrimony deepened the moment her former husband s o l d a l l h i s s h a r e s i n t h e iconic family business. Maurizio gradually began to rebuild his life instead. He started a new business ven- t u r e a n d a n e w r o m a n t i c relationship with a younger woman, Paola Franchi, a for- m e r m o d e l . T h e l o v e r s would meet, clueless about the danger. The true-crime story is now becoming a movie enti- tled The House of Gucci. Directed by Ridley Scott, it p r o m i s e s t o e x u d e ' 9 0 s glamor, intrigue — and the stench of decay. B e s t k n o w n f o r t h e dystopian film Blade Runner a n d t h e h i s t o r i c a l e p i c Gladiator, the British direc- tor is filming on location a c r o s s t h e G u c c i f a m i l y ' s emotional landscape. The first scenes were filmed in t h e I t a l i a n A l p s , u s e d t o MARIELLA RADAELLI LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani, 'Lady Gucci,' on set at Villa Balbiano, village of Tremezzina, Lake Como (Photo: Enrico Selva) Lady Gaga stars as 'Lady Gucci' in film on scandal that riveted Italy Continued to page 34 THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano

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