Who is Patrizia Reggiani, the black widow of the Gucci family?<

Cinémaalors that "House of Gucci" by Ridley Scott with Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino and Camille Cottin is going out today, Vogue looks at the sulphurous history of Patrizia Reggiani, the Italian black widow who hit the headlines.

By Floriane Reynaud

March 27, 1995, Maurizio Gucci dies after receiving several revolver bullets in the back and the temple.The shooter flees and the porter, also injured, tries to revive his boss who dies in his arms.For weeks, police investigate while Italy and the whole world are in shock from the loss of the heir to the Gucci house.Very quickly, after having dismissed the track of the settlement of mafia or quarrels between heirs, the attention of the authorities is focused on his ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani.For twelve years, the Italian had proudly paraded in the arm of the businessman and had lived a life as a worldly, as she said it.As often, after the ascent, it is the fall: the world of Patrizia Reggiani collapses when her prince leaves her.Humiliated, with a broken heart, she will never stop paying her ex-husband her terrible decision, until the irreparable.

A film that is not unanimous in the Gucci family

Today, the spotlights are again turned towards the Italian dynasty with the release of the film by Ridley Scott, “House of Gucci”.Far from being unanimous with the Guccio Gucci family, the project fascinates the public.Result, a net renewed interest in the brand, which Alessandro Michele is now ensuring the artistic direction.In the film, the brand only appears at the rank of context.Here, the director of Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise and Alien tells above all a story, that of a love tragedy centered around a ruthless black widow.Lady Gaga is completely transformed into an Italian heiress with her singing accent and her Eighties look particularly bling bling.Fascinating, confusing, almost hypnotizing, its story did not have been romanticized to become a crisp but fatal cinema scenario.

The Patrizia Reggiani era

When Maurizio presents to his father, Rodolfo Gucci (son of the founder Guccio Gucci), the young Patrizia, the latter is not enchanted by this union.Marked by a poor childhood in northern Italy, she seeks at all costs to climb social levels to become a member of the elite.Some remember Patrizia Reggiani as a cold, calculator, opportunistic girl, already dressed in fur when she barely had the means.

When she puts the grapple on the heir to the Gucci house, it is finally an opportunity for her to access the life she thinks deserves.Their marriage is one of the most sumptuous of the time, despite the violent argument between the father (played by Al Pacino) and the son (Adam Driver).Always dressed in their best attire, the couple likes to show themselves, chaining worldly evenings.Together, they frequent the most prestigious jet set, from Kennedy via billionaire Aristotle Onassis.Patrizia Reggiani lives the life of which she has always dreamed, even if her in-laws never completely accepted her;But she intends to make a name for herself for herself.

With such a woman by her side Maurizio feels invincible.Together, they return the world, buy an apartment on the 5th avenue in New York, several private islands, a yacht and have two daughters: Alessandra and Allegra.Their life almost looks like a fairy tale, but rather than being asleep, the beautiful sirote the best champagne and spends nearly 8,000 dollars per month just in orchids.What harm could he happen?

Thanks to this radiant and sulphurous reputation, the Gucci house becomes one of the main protagonists of the "Made in Italy" movement.The public is closely interested in the brand to the two G and Patrizia Reggiani is now known by the almost aristocratic name of Lady Gucci.

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The divorce

Since life is not exactly a fairy tale, even among billionaires, it was necessary that the fabulous bubble of happiness explodes one day.This is the whole point of the film by Ridley Scott.“House of Gucci” recounts the slow ascent of the desire for revenge in Patrizia Reggiani, excluded from the fashion house when her husband decided to leave her in 1985 for a younger.The billionaire moves away from his ex-wife but also from his daughters to rebuild his life with Paola Franchi, an interior decorator (played by Camille Cottin).

It will take seven years for Patrizia to agree to sign the divorce papers and make it official.MRS.Gucci is no longer, to the chagrin of the one who had built all his identity around the grandiose and worldly image that this family name brought him.Abandoned, humiliated and ousted from Gucci's affairs after having given so much for years, Patrizia Reggiani nourishes a hatred which will not calm down after it is diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1992.The operation to withdraw to him is a success but, the blow of grace the full force when Maurizio Gucci decides to sell his shares of the brand for several million dollars.Goodbye also the promises of colossal inheritance.

Murder

The morning of March 27, 1995, Maurizio Gucci was murdered by several shots by a mysterious man who disappears in nature.After two years of investigation, on January 31, 1997, the Milanese police arrested all the suspects: Pina Auriemma, Ivano Savioni, Benedetto Ceraulo, Orazio Cicala.The first two would be the intermediaries between Patrizia Reggiani and the duo made up of Cicala, the driver of the Clio with whom the murderer escaped and Ceraulo the author of the murder.

But doubt about the ex-wife has been hovering from the start.Patrizia Reggiani had never hidden her hatred for the heir to the Gucci family and had even been very voluble about his disappearance.Listening, the suspects Pina Auriemma and Ivano Savioni had confirmed during a call that the heiress had paid well the sum of 600 million lire (around 300,000 euros) for the assassination of Maurizio Gucci.It is stopped with the same cheeky look as a cinema villain: a fur coat on the shoulders and without the slightest ounce of regret in the gaze.The fairytale princess turned into a witch Machiavellian, but the fascination remains.

The former settler jet is sentenced to 26 years in prison, even if she has never publicly admitted to having commanded the murder of her ex-husband."I was asking everyone, it was an obsession, I would even have asked my pork butcher!"Had she recognized in the face of the jurors, denying the act.Patrizia Reggiani declined a first offer to release prison in 2011 when she learned that she would be forced to work."I have never worked in my life and I do not intend to start now," she said to his lawyer, according to The Guardian.Released in 2016 after finally accepting a semi-liberty, she remains in her character, to the delight of the scandal press which sees in her a hen with eggs of.

As soon as it leaves prison, the Black Widow goes shopping in the famous via Monte Napoleone, in the heart of Milan, with a parrot perched on the shoulder.Despite this sinister affair, she always gives interviews and parade with her famous fur coats and her flashy jewelry on television as in magazines.True to herself, Patrizia Reggiani continues to mention Gucci, while the Italian house has always preferred."They need me.I always feel like a gucci, in fact the gucci of all, "she explained to the repubblica.Ironically, the Black Widow is still maintained by her ex-husband since she has received since 2017 since 2017 an annuity of one million euros per year, resulting from the succession of Gucci, following an agreement signed in 1993.

The film “House of Gucci”

In the cinema as in reality, the religious mantes have a place of choice in the collective spirit.Even after terrible murders, black widows are seen as treacherous but fascinating anti-heroines who know how to thwart the traps to never get caught.We listen to their stories with enthusiasm, little worried by their appalling designs.Like Chicago musical, cinema sometimes benefits from the sulphurous and dangerous reputation of these literally fatal women who take advantage of the naivety of their husbands to decide their fate.Sophisticated, attractive, almost understandable, Patrizia Reggiani is the very example.Faithful to her character, she does what she can do best: shock to exist.While the Gucci family disapproves of the release of a film on their business, Patrizia Reggiani joins their word to their own.The one who had agreed to testify in the report Lady Gucci: the storia di Patrizia Reggiani released in March 2021, was more reluctant to the announcement of the film by Ridley Scott.

But unlike the family who would like to put the past behind them, the black widow is unhappy not to have been consulted, in particular by Lady Gaga who interprets it on the big screen."I am rather annoyed because Lady Gaga plays me in the new film by Ridley Scott without having had the consideration and the sensitivity to come and meet me," she admitted.She continued explaining that she was not delighted to be excluded from the project, upset not to "get a penny of the film"."It is not an economic question", it adds."It's a question of common sense and respect."His extravagances, his outspokenness, his taste for scandal, and the total absence of regret ... This is perhaps what makes the Black Widow of Gucci so captivating.

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