Lady Gaga’s filming Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci” about the murder of Maurizio, former head of the fashion label. Family Gucci was Italy’s equivalent of the modern de’ Medicis. I knew some of the players. In the 1990s, I reported this founder, a waiter who went into the leather business, had two sons. Those sons had sons. With such money at stake, they hated and despised one another. When Maurizio was shot dead in Milan, nobody knew whodunnit. Nobody suffered from it either.
Heiress Patrizia Gucci, who’d sued for divorce, told me: “I did not expect he’d be killed, but I’m not surprised — he had many enemies.” She was subsequently convicted of orchestrating his assassination.
Jenny Gucci, suing Maurizio’s cousin Paolo for divorce, added: “They have a glamorous name but are a hideous group. Do I think it was an accident? No. Mistake? No. The Mafia? No. Someone who knew him? Yes.”
More, as they unfolded it to me then: “Paolo, son of Aldo, who moved the Gucci name into America, sent his late father to jail for income tax.”
Also, I reported, Paolo impregnated his stablehand, left Jenny and their child penniless, let his horses starve, and their Madison Avenue shop go belly-up. Months back, cousin Maurizio was shot to death on a street in Italy and estranged wife Patrizia was suing for divorce. Paolo’s widow Jenny: “Lawyers say he died from liver complaint. I only know nobody has yet officially informed me, the wife he’s still married to, that he’s dead. There’s a first wife and two grown children — and he left no will.”
Now filming this battle for money with Gaga and Adam Driver is Al Pacino, Jared Leto, Salma Hayek and Reeve Carney.
Agent endures torture
In “The Courier,” Benedict Cumberbatch plays a lightweight 007. More like an 005. Cumberbatch: “This ordinary business guy becomes a secret agent who’s then thrown into a Russian gulag. Deprivation, beatings, psychological torture.” Eight years in a vodka-less Russian prisonski. Not a musical. Co-stars Mrs. Maisel — Rachel Brosnahan. “Courier” streams into homes Friday.
Judy’s still in the game
Judge Judy — after a lifetime at CBS, overtaking Oprah as syndication’s No. 1 in daytime, overtaking “Wheel of Fortune” in ’07, No. 1 for 12 consecutive seasons — is today taping her final show. Not her final TV shot. She starts filming a new show in July. On Amazon. Different in respects, but starring that same mouth.
Recalling her beginning, it’s: “I was a 52-year-old nobody. Very anxious.
Trying to sell the network’s salesmen. After a meeting about sponsors and reactions, one said ‘I’ll call 8 o’clock and tell you how we’re doing.’ I said: ‘If you don’t call — your private parts [she used a more descriptive term] will fall off.’ He called.”
Despite family and friends asking, she turned down celebrating today with a party.
Pay attention
“Waiting for Godot” with Ethan Hawke and John Leguizamo will stream off-Broadway come May so stop waiting for Godot to show up live onstage … Serena Williams playing tennis with a partner at Mirabella in Palm Beach Gardens … Bill Clinton stopped by Taco Street on Greeley Avenue in Chappaqua. He got one margarita. A solo Secret Service agent watched. Bill left an “almost” 20 percent tip … Be it known restaurant dining may be regressing but the Beach Cafe on the UES is expanding.
Hole in head
Can, please, someone explain to anyone what Giuliani’s kid is doing? Andrew’s career is golf. He has a wife. He needs a job. He’s 35. Zero background. His last handout came from Daddy Scotch-taping him into the White House as a sort of golden go-to gopher. He’s attractive. He knows people. What he doesn’t know is politics. He now just got another make-work job from friends and from which he’ll get booted because he can’t work there and still run for office.
Now going for governor? Now going to run New York? All this kid’s ever gone for is a hole-in-one.
Realtors looking to unload a newly empty apartment to a possible buyer: “And you can walk to the stores.”
Translation: There’s no place to park.
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.