Have you ever wondered what the net worth of Patrizia Reggiani is?
Patrizia Reggiani is one of the most famous criminals and former socialites. She gained the nickname “Black Widow” by the media after her high-profile trial where she was convicted of hiring a hitman to kill her husband, Maurizio Gucci.
As of May 2023, Patrizia Reggiani has a net worth of $5 million.
Table of Contents
Early Life
Patrizia Reggiani was born on 2 December 1948 in Vignola, Province of Modena, Italy. She was poor and she never knew her real father. She was adopted at the age of 12 by Ferdinando Reggiani when he married her mother; Silvana.
At the age of 22, Patrizia made a success as a fashion model. In 1970, Patrizia met Maurizio Gucci, heir to the Gucci fashion house. The couple married in 1972 and had two children: Alessandra Reggiani (born 1976) and Allegra Versace (born 1986).
Before marriage, Maurizio’s father hated his girlfriend. He only saw her as a social climber who goes to class wearing cocktail dresses from the night before.
Since Maurizio was his father’s only child, Rodolfo Gucci was too protective. He believed that Patrizia Reggiani is all after their money, and that’s why he didn’t want his son to marry her.
After a series of clashes between Maurizio and his father, the couple ended up marrying each other. Despite Rodolfo’s request to the Cardinal of Milan to cancel the marriage.
Even though Maurizio’s father didn’t approve of the marriage, he gifted his son and his daughter-in-law a luxurious penthouse in New York’s Olympic Tower.
After Marriage
Patrizia Reggiani moved to New York with her husband. She became active in New York social circles. With her frequent appearances at fashion events and parties, Patrizia even became friends with Jackie Kennedy Onassis.
During their marriage, Maurizio had a long affair with a woman named Sheree McLaughlin, which eventually convinced Maurizio to leave his wife Patrizia.
In 1982, Patrizia Reggiani moved back to Milan with her husband. Three years later, Maurizio told Patrizia he was going on a business trip to Florence. The next day, he sent a friend to Patrizia telling her that he wasn’t coming back and their marriage is over.
In 1990, Maurizio was dating Paola Franchi. The relationship fired both resentment and jealousy in Patrizia. In addition, Patrizia didn’t want Maurizio to marry Paola as this would reduce Patrizia’s monetary assistance to $860,000 a year. Which was nothing compared to Patrizia’s wealthy life.
In 1994, Patrizia divorced Maurizio. After the divorce, Maurizio consented to pay Patrizia $1.47 million as a part of the divorce settlement.
Patrizia continued using the Gucci last name, even though it was illegal. She always said she felt like “the most Gucci of them all”.
Murdering Maurizio Gucci
One year after the divorce, Maurizio was murdered when he left his office in Milan—he had been shot four times by an assassin. Evidence pointed to Patrizia Reggiani, and she was charged with his murder and sentenced to 29 years in prison.
The day Maurizio was murdered, Patrizia only wrote one word in her diary; paradeisos, which means paradise in Greek.
At first, authorities thought the death was part of the Gucci Empire. However, Patrizia was talking publicly to her friends about her plan to murder her husband.
An unnamed source informed the police in January 1997 that someone joked about organizing Maurizio Gucci’s murder to a hotel guest somewhere in Milan. The criminals hired by Patrizia were so reckless that detectives had to gather 43 boxes of evidence, including Patrizia’s offensive diaries.
Patrizia was arrested on 31st January 1997 and accused of murdering her husband Maurizio by hiring a hitman.
The Trial and Conviction of Patrizia Reggiani
When it came time for her trial, Reggiani remained stoic and emotionless – refusing to take responsibility for her actions and claiming she was innocent until the end.
Despite her daughters claiming she was innocent, the evidence was more than enough to prove Patrizia guilty.
Reggiani was ultimately convicted and sentenced to 29 years in prison. Shortly after, Patrizia claimed she suffered a brain tumor that affected her personality.
Patrizia Reggiani’s Life in Jail
In 2002, Patrizia’s sentence was reduced to 26 years. After that, Patrizia tried to commit suicide in prison using a bed sheet, but prison guards rescued her.
Despite the rules against having pets inside the prison, Patrizia’s lawyers convinced the authorities to let her have her pet ferret with her.
In 2011, Patrizia finally became eligible for work under the release program. However, she refused as she didn’t want to work. In 2016, Patrizia was released with credit for good behavior.
Patrizia Reggiani Net Worth 2023
As of May 2023, Patrizia Reggiani has a net worth of $10 million.
But how did she acquire this wealth? Most of it came from her ex-husband Maurizio Gucci, who was an heir to the Gucci brand and had plenty of investments and money from his family.
As part of the divorce settlement, Maurizio consented to pay an alimony of $1.47 million per year. That means she got an average of $16 million during her jail time.
In addition, Patrizia still owns some assets, such as a luxurious multimillion-dollar yacht called “The Creole.” Despite all this money, Patrizia once considered herself “nullatenente”, which means bankrupt in Italian.
In 2020, Patrizia Reggiani appeared in a documentary about her life called “Lady Gucci: La Storia di Patrizia Reggiani.”
In the documentary, Patrizia explained her side of the story about her marriage and the death of her husband. Still, there’s no accurate information about how much she received for her appearance in the documentary.
In 2021, the film House of Gucci was released. Lady Gaga played the role of Patrizia, while Adam Driver played Maurizio Gucci.
Patrizia once publicly praised Lady Gaga for her performance, saying that she looked like her. Besides, Patrizia said she was annoyed because Lady Gaga didn’t meet her before playing the rFrequneole.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Patrizia Reggiani mentally stable?
At the time of Patrizia’s trial, the judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation of Reggiani. After conducting a thorough examination of her personality, the evaluation concluded that Patrizia suffered from a narcissistic personality disorder.
Does Patrizia Reggiani still get money from Gucci Estate?
After the divorce, Maurizio agreed to pay Patrizia an annual alimony of $860,000. Despite Patrizia’s conviction for her husband’s murder, she was eligible to receive an annuity of $1.2 million from the Gucci Estate.
Key Takeaways
Money Isn’t Everything
Despite having a net worth of millions, Patrizia’s story shows us that money cannot buy you everything — especially not happiness or love.
We all know how quickly fortunes can be acquired and lost, and ultimately it’s up to us how we use the money to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.
The Consequences Of Crime
Reggiani also serves as an example of what happens when you break the law: no matter your net worth or social status, criminal activities will be punished accordingly. So it pays to stay on the right side of justice at all times.