DEFENDANT IN GUCCI TRIAL TESTIFIES AGAINST REGGIANI
Byline: Samantha Conti
MILAN — The man accused of hiring Maurizio Gucci’s killer and whisking him away from the scene of the crime pointed a finger at Patrizia Reggiani in open court Tuesday, saying he met her twice to nail down the details of the murder plot.
The four other defendants in the murder trial — including a pale, stone-faced Reggiani — looked on while Orazio Cicala testified that Gucci’s ex-wife visited him at his home to negotiate terms of payment.
“The first time I met her, she came to my house, accompanied by Savioni. She promised big money if I helped her out,” the thin, bald Cicala said.
Ivano Savioni, a hotel porter, is alleged to have organized the murder at Reggiani’s request.
Reggiani maintains she is not guilty and a victim of blackmail by the other defendants.
Cicala continued: “A short time later, Reggiani made an appointment at a bar in the center of town because she wanted to talk about details; she wanted to know if I had already received the additional money I had asked for.”
Reggiani was not expected to appear in court Tuesday. Her lawyer said she was there to “listen to Cicala’s testimony and gather information.” Plastic rosary beads were wrapped around her wrist, and she was accompanied into the courtroom by a heavy police escort.