A Sweet Deal for Ferrero
Italy’s Ferrero is set to buy Nestle’s U.S. candy business. It is closing in on a $2.8-billion deal for the confectionary business. Nestle USA registered sales of $900 million in 2016, 20% of its global business. Ferrero, best known for its Tic Tac, Nutella and Ferrero Rocher brands, had been vying with Hershey and private investor groups for the acquisition. Nestle owns candy brands including Crunch, Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Skinny Cow. Ferrero has seen its sales double over the course of the last ten years and following the closing of the deal, will become the third largest candy producer in the U.S. Family-owned Ferrero opened its door in 1946, has more than 40,000 employees and sells its products in more than 170 countries. That’s some sweet business.
The Fake Show
Prosecutors in Genoa are investigating an exhibition devoted to Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani after an expert concluded almost all of the 21 paintings were fake! An art historian, appointed by a local court, determined that at least 20 of the 21 paintings displayed during the 2017 Ducal Palace exhibit were forgeries. The palace closed the show three days early in July after a massively successfully run, when prosecutors began investigating doubts art experts had expressed over the authenticity of the paintings being attributed to Modigliani. It is now seeking damages for the embarrassment caused by the episode from the private organizers and calls are growing for it to refund everyone who visited the exhibition. A hotline has been set up for people who bought tickets or travelled to Genoa to see the show. Modigliani, the early 20th century artist whose style as a painter and sculptor was distinguished by elongated necks and faces, died in poverty in Paris in 1920 at the age of just 35.
Versace’s Slam Series
The Versace family has given a resounding thumb’s down to the new television series about the murder of fashion giant Gianni Versace and claims it is nothing more than a “work of fiction.” The show, filmed largely at Versace’s Miami waterfront mansion where the stylist to the stars was gunned down in July 1997, was released this week in the U.S. and Europe. The company producing the series relied on a book by Maureen Orth in creating “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.” Donatella Versace, who took over the brand on her brother’s death, said she was “amazed that after so many years we still lack respect for the dead, we want to create a scandal around someone who can no longer defend themselves.”
The designer said she had not seen the show. Versace’s international fashion empire included clothes, fragrances and home furnishings. He was 50 years old when he was killed by Andrew Cunanan, whose motives remain a mystery. Cunanan, portrayed by actor Darren Criss, had killed at least four other people on a bloody journey before reaching Miami Beach. He committed suicide a few days after slaying Versace.
Gucci Museum in Florence Reopens
The Gucci Museum in Florence is reopening with a new look, under the guidance of Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele, who has transformed the museum’s location in the historic Palazzo della Mercanzia into a multi-faceted operation called the Gucci Garden. The museum is divided into three sections: a gallery, boutique and restaurant. The ground floor hosts the boutique, selling limited edition or one-of-a-kind Gucci items created specifically for the Gucci Garden and inspired by the label’s collections. The Gucci Osteria is a restaurant by three-Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura, famous for his Osteria Francescana in the center of Modena. The rooms in the museum are dedicated to various aspects of the brand, from its double-G logo and icons such as its moccasins, horse bit loafers and the green-and-red striped ribbon, to historical documents, examples of nature and animal-inspired designs. There is even a short film on the myth of Hercules.
The Pitti Uomo
Sportswear widely inspired the men’s fall-winter 2019 collections, which debuted last week at the 93rd edition of the Pitti Uomo international trade fair in Florence. This year’s calendar provided a mixed bag of events ranging from a Gucci Garden party to an anniversary event for Brooks Brothers. At the Pitti, designers pulled out all the stops with plenty of mixed plaids, statement blazers, “man bags” and high-end streetwear. The bi-annual show serves as the premiere international event for menswear and the latest season launches which tend to set the style tone for the year. Of course with fashion comes the droves of self-proclaimed fashionistas and the usual cast of characters were there – the good, the bad and the ugly.
A Toast to Wine
Italy is known for its excellent wine and wine makers throughout the country who are keen to capitalize on that realization by exporting the fruit of the grape to an ever-expanding worldwide marketplace. Wine exports increased by more than 7% in 2017, marking yet another record year. Driving the trend was the increase in sparkling wines (15%). The U.S. continues to be the largest consumer of Italian wine.
Anthony Picillo
Anthony N. Picillo was born and raised in Orange, NJ. Having this connection makes helping the people of greater New Jersey that much more special to him.
Today, Anthony N. Picillo is an accomplished and enthusiastic lawyer. He has successfully led several high-profile lawsuits for his clients throughout his impressive career. Anthony has held several prominent positions, including as the Public Defender for the Township of West Orange Municipal Court in New Jersey. He also served on the Township of West Orange’s Planning Board and Board of Adjustments. After many years in the field, Anthony ventured out and chose to create his own private practice.
