Who are the Gucci sisters?
Alessandra and Allegra Gucci are members of the Gucci family, who founded the eponymous Italian fashion brand, and are the daughters of Maurizio Gucci and his wife Patrizia Reggiani. Alessandra is involved in the fashion industry, continuing the family legacy, while Allegra distanced herself from fashion, and went to law school.
Although they have been keeping a low profile, they were thrust back into the spotlight after the release of the 2021 movie “House of Gucci”, which covered the relationship between their parents, and the subsequent murder of the Gucci family patriarch.
Alessandra Gucci
Alessandra Gucci was born on 28 June 1976, in Milan, Italy. As the daughter of Maurizio Gucci, the former head of the Gucci fashion house, Alessandra has been involved in the fashion world since an early age, becoming a prominent figure in her own right.
She began working in the fashion industry in the 1990s, initially as a model and then as a designer. In 1999, she launched her own line of luxury handbags – AG Limited Editions. The original collection, called The First, comprised only 99 handbags made in nine different styles, which makes them valued and exclusive as collectors’ items. Her last collection was released in 2010.
In addition to her work as a fashion model and designer, Alessandra has also been involved in various philanthropic ventures. She’s an advocate for the arts in particular, and has supported a number of cultural initiatives over the years. She’s also been a strong proponent of environmental causes and has worked to raise awareness of issues such as climate change and animal extinction.
Following her father’s death, Alessandra moved to Switzerland, where she still lives with her husband and children. She has inherited a large portion of the Gucci estate, but hasn’t officially been involved with the brand in years.
Allegra Gucci
Allegra Gucci was born on 27 January 1981 in Milan. While her early life was marked by privilege and access to the world of high fashion, her own career and interests have taken her in a somewhat different direction.
Despite her ownership stake in the Gucci brand, Allegra has generally kept a low public profile, and has ‘ot been actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the company. Unlike her sister Alessandra, Allegra didn’t pursue fashion, and instead studied Law at Milan University.
Just like her father, Allegra also loves sailing, and has entered several competitions and regattas along with her sister. For them, it’s a way to honor Maurizio’s legacy. In an interview with the magazine “Boat International”, Allegra revealed some of the fondest memories from her childhood are with the family’s boat, Creole.
I am Allegra Gucci, daughter of Maurizio Gucci and Patrizia Reggiani. Today, I am also Grosky, an Artist on a creative journey to tell the Truth about my Life, my Family. pic.twitter.com/WDJQFbZeim
— Grosky (@Grosky_ag) March 27, 2022
Allegra is married to the businessman Enrocio Barbieri, with whom she has two children. They exchanged vows in a private ceremony in Milan on 24 December 2011; the family resides in Switzerland.
In 2022, Allegra published a book entitled “Where, Game Over”, in which she covered the events surrounding her father’s death from her own perspective. Following the release, she gave an interview with the magazine “Vanity Fair“, criticizing the film “House of Gucci” for being largely untrue in depicting the supposedly real events.
Maurizio Gucci death
Both Alessandra’s and Allegra’s lives were considerably affected by the death of their father Maurizio. To this day, his murder remains one of the most sensational crimes in Italian history.
Maurizio was shot and killed on the steps of his office building in Milan on 27 March 1995, in what was initially believed to be a Mafia hit. The investigation ultimately revealed that Maurizio’s ex-wife, Patrizia Reggiani, was the one orchestrating the murder plot.
The two were married for 12 years, from 1972 through 1994. However, their relationship had already begun to deteriorate in the late 1980s, and they eventually separated in 1990. In 1992, Patrizia was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which was removed through invasive surgery, which according to Allegra, significantly changed Patrizia’s behavior. Maurizio himself accused her of being emotionally unstable, while she argued that he was neglectful and controlling.
Through the divorce, Patrizia received a substantial settlement from Maurizio, including a monthly allowance of over $1 million. She continued to live a lavish lifestyle, which included a staff of maids and drivers, multiple homes, and a stable of horses. After a while, she still found herself in significant debt which led her to seek help from a group of people who claimed that they had connections with the Italian Mafia.
One of these individuals was a man named Benedetto Ceraulo, who became one of the key figures in the murder plot. Ceraulo and his associates initially planned to kidnap Maurizio and demand a ransom, but they eventually decided to kill him instead. The murder was carried out by a hitman named Vittorio Emanuele Lauro, who shot Maurizio in the back three times as he entered his office building.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=578200383285675
The investigation into the murder quickly led to Patrizia, who was suspected of being involved in the plot, and she was arrested in January 1997, along with several other individuals. During her trial, which became a media sensation, Patrizia emerged as a highly polarizing figure.
The court deduced that Patrizia had indeed played a significant role in her ex-husband’s death. She had reportedly been furious with Maurizio for cutting off her allowance, and had apparently given her approval to the hitmen to carry out the murder. However, her defense argued that she had been manipulated by Ceraulo and the other conspirators, who had taken advantage of her vulnerability and desire for revenge.
Ultimately, Patrizia was found guilty of arranging her ex-husband’s murder, and sentenced to 29 years in prison. She became known in the media as the ‘Black Widow’ and was a frequent subject of tabloid stories. She tried to commit suicide in prison in 2000 by hanging herself using bed sheets, but was found by prison guards. Her sentence was later reduced to 26 years on appeal, however, in 2016, she was eventually released after serving only 16 years.
Both Alessandra and Allegra seem to have a strained relationship with their mother. Although they visit her in prison for most of her sentence, their relationship took a turn for the worse in 2016, when Patrizia requested an annuity from the Gucci estate. They took Patrizia to court in an attempt to block her demands, but the court ruled in Patrizia’s favor. According to court documents, Patrizia benefits from close to $1.5million from Maurizio’s estate each year.
Gucci family inheritance
As the children of Maurizio Gucci, Alessandra and Allegra inherited practically all of their father’s fortune, estimated to be worth more than $400 million. As part of their inheritance, they have ownership of the family’s century-old yachts, along with a number of real estate properties in Italy and New York City. In 2015, the media reported that their 10,000 sq ft (930m2) penthouse located on Fifth Avenue in New York City was listed for sale for over $45 million.
In 2013, the Gucci sisters were accused of tax evasion by the Italian government, for allegedly failing to pay close to $5 million in taxes over the course of six years. The prosecutor, Gaetano Ruta believed that the tax evasion was carefully planned, but the charges were ultimately dropped due to a lack of evidence.
“House of Gucci”
The real-life story of the Gucci family sparked a lot of media controversy, and also inspired the biographical novel “The House of Gucci” by Sara Gay Forden, released in 2001. In the early 2000s, British film director Ridley Scott (known for movies such as “Alien” and “Blade Runner”) acquired the rights to the book with the intention of making a movie about the family of fashion magnates. However, the project was set aside for more than 15 years until production officially started the in summer of 2019.
“House of Gucci” premiered in London on 9 November 2021, with a star-studded cast including Adam Driver, Lady Gaga, Jared Leto and Al Pacino playing the lead roles. It was a moderate box-office success, grossing more than $154 million against the $75 million budget. The actors’ performances, particularly those by Gaga and Leto, received a lot of praise from the critics, although the film itself has mixed reviews.
In the months following the release, multiple members of the Gucci family voiced their dissatisfaction with the movie. In a 2021 interview, Patrizia Reggiani said that she was excited to see Gaga’s portrayal of her, however, after “House of Gucci” came out, stated that she was disappointed that the actress didn’t reach out to her at any point. In response, Gaga said that she had no interest in talking to Patrizia, and that her heart ‘goes out to her daughters’. Maurizio’s cousin, Patrizia Gucci, was disappointed in the lack of communication from the cast as well, while also claiming that the film is an invasion of their family privacy.
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