Death and the Dolce Vita

This true story of the 1950s murder scandal that rocked Italy portrays the Rome of romance, luxury, and glamour—as well as a city of carnal crimes, sex, drugs, corruption, and cover-ups

On April 9, 1953, an attractive 21-year-old woman went missing from her family home in Rome. Thirty-six hours later her body was found washed up on a neglected beach at Torvaianica, 40 kilometers from the Italian capital. Some said it was suicide, others, a tragic accident. But could the mysterious death of this quiet, conservative girl be linked to a drug-fueled orgy involving some of the richest men in Italy? The short life and tragic death of Wilma Montesi was played out against a fascinating backdrop. By the 1950s Italy, in the wake of Mussolini's brutal Fascist government, was in the process of reinventing itself, and with the help of Hollywood stars such as Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, it seemed to be succeeding. Suddenly Italy, and Rome in particular, was the most glamorous place on earth. But the murder of Wilma Montesi exposed a darker side of Roman life—a life of corruption, cover-ups, and carnal pleasures.