Film Icon Gina Lollobrigida’s Ex-Assistant Sentenced To Three Years In Prison For Embezzling $11 Million Of Her Fortune

Andrea Piazzolla, the ex-assistant of the late Italian actress, Gina Lollobrigida, was sentenced to serve a three-year sentence in an Italian prison for embezzling $11.3 million from her prior to her death on January 26.

Piazzolla had looked after the actress since 2009, went along with her at glamorous events and even moved in with her at her Roman villa.

It was in this domicile where he purchased sports cars for hundreds of thousands of dollars with her money before having sold them.

The con artist was found guilty of exploiting the actress’ old age and vulnerability to swindle her out of most of her estate.

According to the late actress’s will, she divided her assets between her former assistant and her son, Milko Skofic Jr. Dividing them in this manner caused her family to accuse Piazzolla of manipulating her into granting him a portion of her fortune.

This long legal feud took another turn in May when authorities put together an inventory of the actress’s fortune and stated that they discovered that $11 million of assets, the bulk of her wealth, had vanished.

The ex-assistant has now been convicted of embezzling that wealth from Lollobrigida and has also been told to give more than $635,000 to her son right away. 

He had been accused of using her money to buy a Ferrari before selling it and giving the money to his mother and father.

When the trial first started before the actress’ death, she assured the court the assistant did not steal from her, and instead at the time declared that “he is at my side like a son, helping me to keep going.”

Lollobrigida stated that her son had been out of her life for some time and came back to take her estate away from her, not to offer her any affection.

An expert testified in court that Lollobrigida was influenced by Piazzolla while she was in a state of vulnerability, and because of that, could not be trusted with her own finances.

According to prosecutors, he kept the actress in isolation.

“I believe I was the only one who took care of Gina Lollobrigida with love,” Piazzolla said after the verdict.

His lawyers proclaimed that Lollobrigida was not vulnerable and was aware of what she had been doing when she signed the will and bequeathed her assets unto him.

Skofic told La Repubblica, an Italian newspaper, in May that Piazzolla had tarnished his mother’s last remaining years by keeping her away from everything that she loved.

“For three years, I wasn’t even able to get into her house,” the actress’ son said. “Her friends kept ringing me to ask why no one answered their phone calls… Nearly all of her closest friends were kept away from her… Everything was in his hands.”

In 2015, the Lollobrigida’s son began a legal action against his mother’s assistant. It was around this time when he accused him of seizing control of the firm, Vissi D’arte, a company which manages Lollobrigida’s assets, and using it to sell three luxury properties while also purchasing a Pagani supercar. 

The most recent case concerned 350 items of art and antiques worth about $317,000 that Piazzolla was accused of selling, unbeknownst to the late actress.

There has been speculation for some time regarding how close Piazzolla and Lollobrigida had become, especially since he often came with her to awards ceremonies with him on her arm. 

She had considered him a “son” and he named his daughter, Gina, after her. 

Lollobrigida was a film star and sex symbol in the 1960s and 70s. She acted in over 60 films. She was one of a small number of Italian celebrities who achieved international fame as an actress.

She had the starring role in films like The Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1956, Strange Bedfellows in 1965 and Good Evening, Ms. Campbell in 1968.

After she had pursued an acting career, Lollobrigida began a job as a photographer and sculptor in the 1980s.