How Did Fashion Designer Gucci Die
How The Murder Of Maurizio Gucci Rocked The World Of High Fashion
Maurizio Gucci was gunned downward on orders of his embittered ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani on the steps of his Milan office on March 27, 1995.
@filmcrave/Twitter Maurizio Gucci and his then-wife Patrizia Reggiani, who would club his bump-off in 1995.
A scion to the Italian fashion empire, Maurizio Gucci had information technology all. He was raised in luxury merely to take charge of the world-renowned brand and marry a fiery socialite. As chronicled in Ridley Scott's Business firm of Gucci, the ambitious heir would non only lose all control over the company — but be murdered at the behest of his own wife, Patrizia Reggiani.
He was born on Sept. 26, 1948, in Florence, Italy, where his grandfather Guccio Guccio founded the designer make in 1921. When his uncle Aldo took over in the postwar era, Gucci was worn by Hollywood stars and John F. Kennedy akin. Spurred past Reggiani to take the reins, Maurizio Gucci battled his way to become chairman — only to be murdered on March 27, 1995.
"Information technology was a lovely spring forenoon, very quiet," said Giuseppe Onorato, the doorman of Maurizio Gucci'southward private role at Via Palestro xx. "Mr. Gucci arrived conveying some magazines and said good morning. Then I saw a hand. It was a beautiful, clean hand, and it was pointing a gun."
Maurizio Gucci was shot four times at 8:30 a.one thousand. and died on the steps of his ain office building at 46 years old. This is his story.
The Early Life Of Maurizio Gucci
Raised past actors Rodolfo Gucci and Sandra Ravel, Maurizio Gucci met Patrizia Reggiani at a party in Milan. A staple in the European party circuit during the late 1960s and early 1970s, she came from money herself. Maurizio Gucci was smitten plenty to inquire about her.
Erin Combs/Toronto Star/Getty Images Maurizio Gucci in 1981.
"Who is that beautiful girl dressed in ruby who looks similar Elizabeth Taylor?" Gucci asked his friend.
Despite his male parent's warnings, Gucci became enamored. Rodolfo Gucci begged him to be conscientious almost her potential ulterior motives, and said he had inquired nigh Reggiani and was told she was vulgar, ambitious, and "a social climber who has cipher in heed simply coin."
"Papá," replied Gucci, "I tin can't leave her. I love her."
They were 24 when they tied the knot in 1972. Theirs was a life of unspeakable luxury. It included a 200-foot yacht, a penthouse in Manhattan, a Connecticut farm, a place in Acapulco, and a St. Moritz ski chalet. The couple socialized with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, had ii daughters — and e'er used a chauffeur.
With Reggiani every bit his principal adviser, Gucci grew confident plenty to stand up upward to his father. When Rodolfo died in 1983 and left him with a 50-per centum stake in the company, however, Maurizio stopped listening to Reggiani entirely. He began plotting a complete takeover that led to family conflict, divorce — and murder.
Blick/RDB/Ullstein Bild/Getty Images The St. Moritz ski chalet of Maurizio Gucci and Patrizia Reggiani.
"Maurizio got crazy," said Reggiani. "Until so I was his chief adviser about all Gucci matters. But he wanted to be the best, and he stopped listening to me."
The End Of A Family unit Empire
Maurizio Gucci now had bulk control of the company simply wanted to absorb his uncle Aldo's shares and launched a legal effort to do and then. His furious uncle countered with a lawsuit that alleged Gucci had forged Rodolfo'southward signature to avoid paying an inheritance revenue enhancement. Gucci was initially establish guilty just and then acquitted.
His wedlock floundered even further when Gucci rekindled his relationship with Paola Franchi. She was an quondam flame from the party circuit he frequented in his youth and didn't challenge his business organisation decisions as Reggiani did. In 1985, he walked out on his wife entirely, leaving on a business trip he never returned from.
Gucci began living with Franchi. He fifty-fifty managed to have Bahrain-based banking firm Investcorp buy all of his relatives' shares for $135 million by June 1988. The following year, he was made chairman of Gucci. Unfortunately, he ran the company'southward finances into the ground and leave them in the red from 1991 to 1993.
Laurent MAOUS/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images Roberto Gucci, Georgio Gucci, and Maurizio Gucci attend a store opening in Paris, French republic, on September 22, 1983.
In 1993, he sold his remaining stock for $120 meg to Investcorp and lost his reins over the family dynasty entirely. While his divorce was finalized the following year and Reggiani would receive an annual $i million alimony, she was desperate not to be replaced by a younger woman.
"I was angry with Maurizio near many, many things at that time," said Reggiani. "Only above all, this. Losing the family business concern. It was stupid. It was a failure. I was filled with rage, only there was nothing I could do."
Maurizio Gucci's Expiry
It was eight:30 a.g. on March 27, 1995, and an unidentified gunman fired three shots into Maurizio Gucci's back before shooting him once in the head on the steps of Gucci's Milan office. Giuseppe Onorato, the building'south doorman, had been sweeping up leaves. Gucci collapsed on the steps leading into the lobby of the building, leaving Onorato in disbelief.
"I thought it was a joke," said Onorato. "Then the shooter saw me. He lifted the gun again and fired ii more than times. 'What a shame,' I thought. 'This is how I dice.'"
The assassin fired 2 more shots before diving into a getaway car, hitting Onorato once in the arm. The wounded doorman rushed to Gucci in hopes he could help, but it was futile. The former mode icon was dead.
@pabloperona_/Twitter The crime scene of Maurizio Gucci's murder at Via Palestro xx on March 27, 1995.
"I was cradling Mr. Gucci'south head," said Onorato. "He died in my arms."
Authorities certainly suspected Reggiani due to the outlandish statements she had fabricated during her publicized divorce, only there was no bear witness she was involved. Authorities followed other leads as a upshot, expecting claret relatives or shady casino figures were to blame. Ii years later, police defenseless a staggering pause.
On Jan eight, 1997, Filippo Ninni received an bearding call. As head of police force in Lombardia, he asked what it was near. The vocalism replied simply, "I'm going to say just one name: Gucci." The informant said he was at a Milan hotel where a porter bragged well-nigh hiring Maurizio Gucci'southward killer — and whom he had constitute him for.
The Gucci Murder Trial
Along with porter Ivano Savionia, the co-conspirators included a clairvoyant named Giuseppina Auriemma, getaway commuter Orazio Cicala, and hitman Benedetto Ceraulo. Constabulary wiretapped Regianni's telephone and got her to incriminate herself to an undercover cop posing as a hitman asking for payment on the telephone.
All four suspects were arrested for premeditated murder on January 31, 1997. Reggiani's Cartier journal even yielded a 1-word entry for March 27 which read "Paradeisos," or paradise in Greek. The trial began in 1998 and would last five months, with the printing dubbing Reggiani "Vedova Nera" (or the Black Widow).
Patrizia Reggiani'south lawyers claimed that the brain tumor surgery she underwent in 1992 would've rendered her unable to plan the hit, but she was constitute competent to stand up trial. Confronted in court with testify that she had paid Auriemma $365,000 to find a hitman, Regianni stated: "It was worth every lira."
"I recall that Patrizia was bothered in a higher place all that she couldn't telephone call herself a Gucci anymore," said Franchi on the stand.
Reggiani and Cicala were sentenced to 29 years on November 4, 1998. Savioni was given 26 years, Auriemma 25, and Ceraulo to a life term. Regianni was released in 2014 and remains estranged from her daughters.
Later learning about Maurizio Gucci and the notorious murder behind "House Of Gucci," read about the chilling mystery of Natalie Wood's death. Then, learn how singer Claudine Longet killed her Olympian young man and got abroad with it.
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