Maurizio Gucci, one-time head of the Gucci fashion house, was murdered in the mid-1990s. His killing became one of the most notorious crimes in modern fashion history.
The murder
On the morning of March 27, 1995, Maurizio Gucci was shot multiple times as he arrived at his office in Milan, collapsing on the steps just inside the building. The attack shocked Italy and the global fashion world because he was the last member of the Gucci family to run the brand that carried their name.
Who was behind it
It was later established that the shooting was carried out by a hired hitman who ambushed Gucci at the entrance to his office. Investigators eventually traced the plot back to his ex-wife, Patrizia Reggiani, who was accused of orchestrating the assassination.
Motive and trial
Prosecutors argued that Reggiani was driven by a mix of financial motives and resentment after their divorce and after Maurizio had sold his stake in the Gucci company, ending the family’s control. In 1998, she and several accomplices, including the hitman, were convicted and received long prison sentences for their roles in the murder.
Aftermath for those involved
Reggiani served about 18 years in prison before being released in 2016, later becoming a subject of intense media and cultural fascination, including books and film portrayals of the case. The story of the murder and its fallout has continued to be revisited in documentaries and dramatized works as a symbol of the dark side of wealth, power, and family conflict.
