House of Gucci; In Cold Blood

(Maurizio Gucci and Patrizia Reggiani)

Have you ever been irritated by your husband or significant other? If you say ‘no’, you are lying, but in the case of Patrizia Reggiani, she took action and in 1995 she hired a hit man to murder her ex-husband and the heir to the Gucci empire. But let’s start from the beginning to understand how we got here.

(Guccio Dario Maria Gucci)

Guccio Dario Maria Gucci was born on March 26th, 1881 in Italy and went on to start the iconic fashion house of Gucci. As a young man, he lived in London and worked at the famous Savoy Hotel, where he was inspired and influenced by the wealthy elite hotel guests’ fashions and accessories. Upon his return to Italy, he began creating travel handbags and accessories of his own and in 1921 the founded the House of Gucci in Florence. Years later his son would join him at the company, thus turning the House of Gucci into a family run and owned business. Within his lifetime, Gucci opened a store in Milan and in New York City. Guccio Dario Maria Gucci was a designer and savvy businessman whose influence is still felt today within the house of Gucci and in the fashion world. He died in 1953 in Milan, Italy, at the age of 71.

The Gucci Family circa late 1970’s (from the left) Giogio, Maurizio, Roberto, Aldo, Alessandro, Paolo, Elisabetta, Patrizia, Guccio and Rodolfo (in front)

Following Guccio Dario Maria Gucci’s passing, the House of Gucci was given to his five sons, and headed by Aldo Gucci, who went on to expanding the Gucci empire globally as well as expanded their product offerings. Aldo Gucci was the uncle to Maurizio Gucci who inherited his father’s majority stock upon him passing and sued his uncle for full control of the House of Gucci. Mauizio went on to sell his majority stock shares for $170 million in 1993. Two years later, he would be murdered by a hitman hired by his ex-wife, Patrizia Reggiani.

(Maurizio, Patrizia and their daughters)

Patrizia Reggiani was a wealthy and famously beautiful Italian socialite who caught the attention of the dapper and powerful Maurizio Gucci. When Maurizio eyed Patrizia at a party he asked his friends: “Who is that beautiful girl who looks like Liz Taylor?” The pair had two daughters together during their twelve years of marriage, until Maurizio left her for a younger woman after claiming he was just leaving on a short business trip which he never returned home from. In a fit of passion, Patrizia would go on the hunt for a hitman who would kill her ex-husband. I guess everything wasn’t all ‘gucci’ in the Gucci household.

(Patrizia Reggiani, 1995)

In the new documentary Lady Gucci, available on the Discovery+ channel, Patrizia Reggiani confesses: “I used to go around and ask everyone, even the butcher, to kill him — ‘Is there anyone who has the courage to kill my husband?’” Patrizia was convicted of murder and was sentenced to 26 years in prison. She served 18 years and was released in October 2016, and just like that, the socialite went from being commonly referred to in the press and amongst friends as Lady Gucci, to the Black Widow.

If you can’t get enough of this fashion affair turned in cold blood murder mystery, you are in luck! Lady Gaga and Adam Driver and currently filming a feature film where they will star as Patricia Reggiani and Maurizio Gucci. From the paparazzi pictures we are gotten to see, it looks like we are in for a wildly fabulous film about fashion and passion. At this time the release date has yet to be announced but we already cannot wait.

(Adam Driver and Lady Gaga in costume to play Maurizio Gucci and Patrizia Regianni in upcoming feature film about the relationship and murder)