Greed, resentment, revenge: story of a crime in the jet set

"I have a flaw, I can't aim right. So I couldn't do it alone."

The candor with which Patrizia Reggiani reconstructs the mental path that 26 years ago led her to organize the murder of her ex-husband Maurizio Gucci is disconcerting. To begin with, ex, for her, was not at all. He was her husband, and just referring to him with these exact words was looking for a hitman who "had the courage" to kill him. Because she, the daughter of a dishwasher, who got to marry the heir of the Gucci house could do everything. But killing no, it wasn't his thing.

The story of the Gucci assassination, which took place in Milan in 1995, is an intertwining of fascinating and sinister elements together: the context is the Milan to drink, unbridled luxury, the world of fashion, love and passion. But in the mix there are also the lowest instincts in the soul of the instigator of this murder: jealousy, greed, resentment. Vengeance.

THE FILM - It is not surprising that this plot has bewitched Hollywood, especially after the release of the bestseller "The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamor, and Greed" written by Sara Gay Forden and published in 2001. In 2006 began work on the film adaptation Ridley Scott, director of four Academy Award nominations for "Thelma & Louise", "The Gladiator", "Black Hawk Down - Black Hawk Downed" and "Survivor - The Martian".

The project ran aground for years until in 2020 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquired the rights to the film and the protagonists began to have a face: Lady Gaga that of the protagonist Lady Gucci, Patrizia Reggiani. For the Gucci dynasty, Adam Driver in the role of Maurizio, (an unrecognizable) Jared Leto of his cousin Paolo, Jeremy Irons of his father Rodolfo, Al Pacino of his uncle Aldo.

Filming began at the beginning of this year, all shot in Italy: first stop Gressoney Saint Jean and Gressoney La Trinité, at the foot of Monte Rosa. So Milan, from the fashion district to via Palestro, which saw the last moments of Maurizio Gucci's life. After a passage on Lake Como, Rome.

The hunt for VIPs in Italy has unleashed fans and paparazzi, a real flash of glamor in the difficult months of the pandemic. In May, the production was completed: the film will be released on November 24 in the United States, in Italy it will be necessary to wait until December 16.

But who were Maurizio Gucci and Patrizia Reggiani?

THE GUCCI DYNASTY - The "dynasty" of the Gucci family originates from Guccio Gucci, the founder in 1921 of a small artisan leather goods company in Florence, ancestor of what would become the famous fashion house it is today. After his death, his sons Aldo and Rodolfo take over the company. But their professional coexistence is very difficult: they don't agree on anything, and their children don't help. Above all Paolo, son of Aldo, and Maurizio, son of Rodolfo.

But the alternating fortunes of the Gucci family are only the backdrop to the crime. The undisputed protagonist is Patrizia Reggiani: a socialite born in Vignola, Emilia-Romagna, from a humble family, she never met her biological father. At twelve she was adopted by her mother's new husband, Ferdinando Reggiani, from whom it takes its name.

THE WEDDING - In 1970 Patrizia met her future husband, Maurizio, at a party. It will not be love at first sight, at least for her ("Her eyes looked like those of a boiled fish", she says), but after two years, on October 28, 1972, she gives in to advances and marries him. None of the Gucci family attended the wedding, considering the then 24-year-old Patrizia a simple social climber.

And she, who has never denied aspiring to a dream life, enters the star system through the front door: travels around the world, wonderful villas, exclusive events, lots of money. Become a mother of Alessandra and Allegra. "It was love, a great love", Reggiani remembers. But after thirteen years Maurizio, to Patrizia's surprise, decides to leave her. It's a blow to his pride. But never like when Maurizio tells her he plans to marry a friend of his, Paola Franchi.

From that moment the "annoyance", as Patrizia defines her, takes possession of her, to the point of devouring her.

THE CRIME - Patrizia Reggiani begins to think day and night about how she can take revenge on that man, despite the super support he grants her: "From 1985, Dr. Gucci had been passing Mrs. 200 million a month, plus 350 million in August for the 'renting a boat', reminds Alda Rizzi, housekeeper in the house in Saint Moritz, at the trial. "They came in cash, I counted them." They were practically the equivalent of one million euros a year and yet they were not enough to support Patrizia's lifestyle, much less to make her put aside her resentment for that abandonment which she still saw as a profound injustice.

In 1994 the idea of killing him dawned on her. "I used to go around the butcher's shop to ask 'Is there any of you who have the courage to kill my husband or not?'", She confessed in the Discovery + documentary "Lady Gucci. The story of Patrizia Reggiani". She also asked her lawyer Cosimo Auletta what would happen to her if she "killed" her husband. Nobody understands that she is more serious than ever. Indeed, some do.

Giuseppina Auriemma (in the film Salma Hayek) is a psychic, a "sorceress" originally from Naples who had met Patrizia Reggiani in 1977. They are very good friends, Patrizia fills her with gifts and confides in her what she has in mind. And so it is she who sets up what Lady Gucci calls the "Banda Bassotti": the janitor Ivano Savioni, the bricklayer Benedetto Ceraulo and the restaurateur Orazio Cicala.

THE MURDER - It was March 27, 1995 when at 8 in the morning the 46-year-old Maurizio Gucci left his house in Corso Venezia 38 and walked to the door of Via Palestro 20 where his company is based. The janitor Giuseppe Onorato sees him arrive, climbing the first steps of the atrium when 4 bullets exploded by a stranger (Ceraulo) reach him from behind, to the buttock and then to the head, killing him. Honored sees the killer turn to him and shoot him. He is convinced that he will die, and instead he is only smeared in the arm. Ceraulo runs, gets into the Renault Clio which is waiting for him outside (Cicala is driving) and runs away.

The investigation focuses on Gucci's business for two years, not always all in the light of day. Investigators dig as far as they can but find nothing. I'm at a standstill until the decisive tip arrives. It is Ivano Savioni who betrays himself, bragging to someone who then runs to the police that he was involved in the murder. At that point, getting to the principal and the four involved is child's play. But the overwhelming evidence is still missing and the investigators have to resort to a staging. They make Savioni, who was still asking Patrizia Reggiani for money for having completed the task of killing her husband (despite having already received 600 million lire), to hire an infiltrator, actually a Spanish policeman, to threaten her. The truth comes out.

THE PRISON - "I know why you are here, for the murder of my husband". Patrizia Reggiani offers no resistance when the carabinieri arrive at her house. She collects her things, not really the first ones she finds on hand: very expensive rings, necklaces and earrings, puts on her fur and voilà, it's ready. "My jewels and my fur go where I go," he replies to the astonished agents.

For 17 years she was locked up in the San Vittore prison, "Victor's Residence", as she calls it. Because the prison experience is anything but traumatic for Lady Gucci: she can finally sleep as much as she wants, take care of her plants and her ferret. He is so well that he does not want to leave anymore. And even when he could get semi-release he gives it up, because in his whole life he has never worked and has no intention of starting.

Today Patrizia Reggiani is a free woman, she has paid her debt to justice and lives in Milan. She has no relationship with her daughters, who broke up with her after a very tough legal battle over her maintenance. With Lady Gaga he had no contact and was a bit disappointed. "Every good actor must first get to know the character he is going to play live," he said. "Nobody should have told me who Patrizia Gucci was. Not even Patrizia Gucci", Lady Gaga defended herself. And perhaps, if reality far exceeds the imagination, she is right.