Death and the dolce vita : the dark side of Rome in the 1950s / Stephen Gundle.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gundle, Stephen, 1956-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Crime--Italy--Rome--History--20th century.

Crime.

Corruption--Italy--Rome--History--20th century.

Corruption.

History.

Rome (Italy)--Social conditions--20th century.

Rome (Italy).

Italy--Rome.

Physical Description:

xi, 400 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Edinburgh ; New York : Canongate, 2011.

Summary:

'Wilma Montesi was not the first young woman to meet an odd death in Rome. In the years after the war, numerous cases of random stabbings, strangulation and bodies dragged from lakes hit the news. But something about Wilma was different. Her youth and beauty brought unusual attention to her case and, within a matter of days of her death, word was being passed between journalists and their informants about the involvement of influential politicians. The Montesi girl's death had not been a simple accident. Rather, it was whispered, she had died at a drug-fuelled orgy. Could it be that this innocent girl had led a double life? And who really was responsible for her death? The case was to grip the entire nation ...' Book jacket.

Contents:

Part 1

I The Body on the Beach 11

II The Rumour Mill 23

III Politics and Scandal 35

IV Via Margutta 47

V Hollywood on the Tiber 58

VI Girl About Town 74

VII The Marchese of San Bartolomeo 89

VIII New and Old Rome 97

Part 2

IX Muto on Trial 111

X A New Investigation 133

XI Via Veneto 154

XII Piccioni's Alibi 167

XIII The Establishment Fights Back 179

XIV A Family Under Stress 186

XV The Long Arm of the Mafia 201

XVI Dr Sepe Reports 216

XVII The Venice Trial 229

Part 3

XVIII The Rise of the Paparazzi 267

XIX The 'Sweet Life' on Screen 290

XX Aftermath 306

XXI Keys to the Case 321.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [355]-365) and index.

ISBN:

9781847676542

1847676545

OCLC:

721925161