March 17, 2025 • 43 mins
If you grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, the idea of supermodels strutting on the runway in sleek, sophisticated, and sometimes whimsical outfits is woven into the fabric of international culture. However, it wasn’t always that way. High-profile design icon Giovanni (Gianni) Versace gets much credit for that runway revolution. Sadly, his legacy and last moments are inextricably intertwined. However, Gianni Versace was not Andrew Cunanan's only victim; he was his most famous one.
SOURCES:
1) https://www.biography.com/history-culture/gianni-versace
2) https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gianni-Versace
3). https://people.com/crime/gianni-versace-partner-speaks-out-people-magazine-investigates-crimes-of-fashion/#:~:text=The%20depression%20Antonio%20D'Amico,Florida%2C%20villa%20after%20hearing%20gunshots.
4) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C138062%2C00.html
5) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,138062,00.html#ixzz11H6hE2vi
6) https://wunderlabel.com/lab/fashion-designer/gianni-versace-biography/#:~:text=1968,business%20as%20a%20fabric%20buyer
7) https://variety.com/2018/scene/news/the-assassination-of-gianni-versace-darren-criss-andrew-cunanan-1202907696/
8). https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Andrew_Cunanan
9). https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gianni-versace-murder-did-iconic-designer-icon-know-killer-andrew-cunanan/
10) https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/murder-of-chicago-real-estate-mogul-lee-miglin-horrors-andrew-cunanan-murder-spree-gianni-versace/
11) https://www.businessinsider.com/gianni-versace-donatella-versace-family-life-story-2019-4#gianni-also-had-a-nephew-from-donatella-daniel-beck-gianni-left-daniel-his-art-collection-which-includes-two-pieces-by-picasso-18
SOURCES:
1) https://www.biography.com/history-culture/gianni-versace
2) https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gianni-Versace
3). https://people.com/crime/gianni-versace-partner-speaks-out-people-magazine-investigates-crimes-of-fashion/#:~:text=The%20depression%20Antonio%20D'Amico,Florida%2C%20villa%20after%20hearing%20gunshots.
4) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C138062%2C00.html
5) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,138062,00.html#ixzz11H6hE2vi
6) https://wunderlabel.com/lab/fashion-designer/gianni-versace-biography/#:~:text=1968,business%20as%20a%20fabric%20buyer
7) https://variety.com/2018/scene/news/the-assassination-of-gianni-versace-darren-criss-andrew-cunanan-1202907696/
8). https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Andrew_Cunanan
9). https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gianni-versace-murder-did-iconic-designer-icon-know-killer-andrew-cunanan/
10) https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/murder-of-chicago-real-estate-mogul-lee-miglin-horrors-andrew-cunanan-murder-spree-gianni-versace/
11) https://www.businessinsider.com/gianni-versace-donatella-versace-family-life-story-2019-4#gianni-also-had-a-nephew-from-donatella-daniel-beck-gianni-left-daniel-his-art-collection-which-includes-two-pieces-by-picasso-18
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
This episode mayntain content of a graphic nature, including descriptions
of physical and sexual violence against adults, children, and animals.
Listener discretion is advised. Hi, this is Tanya.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Hi, this is Shannon, and we are.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Crimes and Consequences, a hardcore true crime podcast. Ein Shannon, Hey, gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
How are you?
Speaker 1 (00:47):
I'm doing good? You know it's Friday, the whole weekend.
It has such possibilities.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
It does, and there was ohen, You're right, this is
the weekend that we get to pop ahead. I'm looking
forward to.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
It, very much forward.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
I like to have my coffee out on the deck,
even if it's cold, I don't care.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
I love this song on my face, starting the day
off like that.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
I think in a previous life there wasn't much sunlight
for me because I love it.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Probably sucking a dungeon somewhere right.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Times, bullcrap. But what you got for us this week?
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Girl, Well, I have a pretty famous case. It is
the life and Death of Giohnny Versace.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Ooh, Johnny and Versace as what was that movie?
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Strip teeth?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
It was The Girls show Girls, Yes with Elizabeth Berkeley.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yes, Versace.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
That movie. It just makes me want to watch it
so I can reenact her dance, like everything about okay,
look at my face, everything about that movie.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
I was watching it this How can you be so
overacting on every scene? It was almost a Saturday Night
Live parody movie?
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Is this a joke? Is this hour and a half
flung joke?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
After every scene? Did you say? Nailed it? Nailed it?
I know the director was like, just kiss her next scene.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
I know, right that poor girl. It ruined her career.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
I know her parents put everything into this is just
hearsay obviously from plow When did that movie come out?
But I do remember a little background story. I want
to say she was even from Michigan and her parents
just put everything and she was on Saved by the Bell.
It was just she needed better guidance. She did great.
She's got a great body, she was a great dancer,
(02:47):
great moves. Wow. They really really exploited everything to where
we were like, did I pay for this?
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Did I pay for this? Movie? Was one the god
bless I hope she's doing well because you.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Too, I hope.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I do love the Bell.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
I was a huge Saved by the Bell fan for sure.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
But we're talking about Gianni Versaci.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Today we're talking about Johnny Versaci. So, if you grew
up in the eighties and nineties, which girl, we were there? Yes,
idea of supermodels starting on the runway in a sleek,
sophisticated and sometimes whimsical outfit is woven into the fabric
of just our lives. Right. That was the era of
the birth of a supermodel. Yes, However it wasn't always
(03:34):
that way. High profile design icon Johnny Versaci gets a
lot of credit for that runway revolution. So I'll tell
you a little bit about Johnny. His name was Giovanni Versaci.
He went by Gianni. He was born in Reggio di Calabria.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Italy, girl, use that Italian?
Speaker 1 (03:54):
I know Calabria. There you go Italian? Yeah, on December second,
nineteen forty six, making him a Sagittarius to his parents,
Antonio Versacchi and Francesca Versacchi. His father was a salesman
and his mother owned a dress shop, creating beautiful clothes
(04:16):
for clients. His entire family held the arts and by extension,
fashion very close, like they just were lovers of the art.
Jenny often went with his mom to her dress shop,
and he was captivated by all of the fabrics and
the designs that she drew, so this no doubt sparked
his lifelong passion for both of these things, which was
(04:39):
fully encouraged by his mother, who saw that his talent
was evident even early on. His birthplace is in southern Italy,
just across the Straits of a Messina from the island
of Sicily, in an area known for gorgeous clear waters
and architectural remnants of long ago occupations by the Romans
and the Greeks. The bigest attractions in Reggio di Calabria
(05:02):
is the Riachi Warriors or the Riachi Bronzes, which are
two perfect Greek bronze statues that were discovered off the
coast of Reggio in nineteen seventy two. They're thought to
have been cast around four hundred and fifty BC. Johnny
was one of four Versacei children. Older sister, Tina, was
(05:23):
born in nineteen forty, but she passed away sadly in
nineteen fifty two at the age of twelve after she
cut herself on a carnival ride and got a tetanus
infection that wasn't treated properly. I mean, damn, I know
that's terrible. That's terrible. People died of tetanus. The vaccine
(05:44):
is just so common. It's just crazy to me. That
poor little girl, his poor pains right. The poor family
then came older brother Santo, born in nineteen forty four.
Younger sister Donatella, was born in nineteen fifty five. Both Santo,
who later dabbled in Italian politics, and Donatella would be
a big part of Gianni's fashion empire, which was always
(06:06):
based on family. Johnny and his siblings, like other children
in the city, spent a lot of time playing among
the ruins all around them. The Versace home was actually
next to a crumbling Greek temple. The ruins of once
majestic architectural wonders stood in a start contrast to the
poverty that pervaded in the city after World War Two.
(06:27):
When Gianni was growing up, Jenny attended the Lycio Classico
Tomaso Campanella, which is a high school in Reggio, Calabria.
The campus was known in the area for a strong
curriculum around subjects such as literature and history. He continued
to visit his mother's shop, though now he had advanced
(06:48):
to helping her with her work while creating his own sketches.
It is said that he created his first dress when
he was ten. After graduation, he moved on to the
Academy of Fine Arts in Naples, the Academia d Belle
Arti d Nepoli, where he focused on architecture and design.
(07:08):
Gianni did not complete his full degree, opting instead for
a Diploma d Geometra, which is a draftsman degree, which
is more like a two year degree vocational kind of
more than a bachelor's degree. These types of degrees in
Italy generally focused on things such as construction design or
technical drawing, so he became a trained architect with this degree,
(07:31):
but his real loves were fashion and art, and the
intersection of the two. When Gianni worked in his mother's shop,
he watched her bring her creations to life and then
sketching his own ideas while she worked. In nineteen sixty eight,
he decided to strike out on his own as a
freelance designer. A few years later, in nineteen seventy two,
(07:53):
he took a design job with Callahan and the emerging
Jenny Clothing brand and Jenny Is with a.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
G G E.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
N N Y Jenny became quite popular, and much of
that is credited to Jianny. His skills and materials continued
to blossom. In nineteen seventy five, he brought a leather collection,
his first to the United States for the Coomplice Company.
Three years later, in nineteen seventy eight, he created his
own business, with sister Donatella becoming an integral part of
(08:24):
his work and business, and his brother Santo kept an
eye on the fledging company's financial side. The trio worked
hard to make an impact on the world of fashion.
A year after creating the company, Johnny staged his first
ready to wear show and opened his first store for
his designs in Milan. His bold style grew instant notice.
(08:45):
It was unlike anything that had been showcased before. His
attitude toward fashion is summed up by this quote from him, quote,
I don't believe in good taste. I don't believe in
bad taste. I believe in quality and in fun and
things that make our lives better or happier. Quote. The
nineteen eighties were good to Gianni. It was during this
(09:07):
decade that he became an international fashion sensation. His wares
were instantly recognizable with the inclusion of an image of Medusa.
I don't know if you remember seeing any of his
designs with Medusa.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Medusa is a character from Greek mythology that had snakes
for hair, and it was said that she would turn
people into stone when they dared to glance at her face.
I believe it was men that got turned to stone,
although it could be anybody.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
I think, yes, I think well, I think it's men.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
The symbol was said to come from the ruins where
he played as a child, and it eventually became the
logo for his entire company. The designer said he wanted
that image for a logo because Medusa made others fall
deeply in love with her with no way back from
her spou Janny not only created clothing for the men
and women of the elite class, he also designed costumes
(10:00):
for the arts, bringing his interests together. His creations graced
the stages of top level performances in ballet, opera, and
the theater. In nineteen eighty five, he was allowed to
show his work at London's Victoria and Albert Museum, the
first designer to do so. As the decade came to
a close, VERSACEI built a second line he called Verses.
(10:22):
It was shown to the world in nineteen ninety five
at New York Fashion Week. His sister, Dona Tala took
over these designs, and the Versace brand expanded into other
lines such as Versace Jeans and the lines called Signature
and Instante. Okay, Johnny didn't just reinvent the world of clothing,
though he eventually got into home goods. He's largely credited
(10:45):
with the rise of what we now call supermodels. In
his Fall nineteen ninety one show, Johnny staged his creations
on top models such as Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista,
and Christy Turlington, who walked the runway live syncing the
George Michael hit song Freedom and I don't know if
you know that one but those models had just appeared
(11:08):
in George Michael's video for the song, and having them
showing off for Sachi's line merged popular culture and high
fashion in a way that was unprecedented at the time.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
It really was. Do you remember the everyone wanted to be?
Speaker 3 (11:22):
I wanted to be Linda Evangelisa, she was my favorite supermodel.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
And Christy Charlington, She's cute as a button.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Yeah, I loved I love Cindy Crawford too. They were
all beautiful, Naomi Campbell, all of them gorgeous women. But
they are burned into my mind right.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
We were twenty five, twenty four to twenty five when
we were all. I mean, I don't know how old
these women are now, but I feel like we grew
up with them right in the same kind of like
I was there, true Versachi Jihanni, really the whole culture,
the rock and roll George Michael, I love him and
he reminds me.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Of the super model. He's a male super.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Model, I know. And I remember that video. He did
not appear in it, like he appeared I think briefly
as the director of camera and all of these women
lip sync the song and they just looked gorgeous black
and white black and yeah, it was. It was a masterpiece.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
See was very much orchestrating that time period for sure.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
That link with superstars continued, as Johnny's friends and clients
with star power were often seated in the front rows
of his fashion shows. At any given VERSACEI event, you
might find Eric Clapton to Pac Shakur, Michael Jackson, or
Elton John in attendance. Madonna, Demi Moore, and John bon
Jovi even modeled his clothing. Forsachi's calling card became siren
(12:47):
dresses that oozed glamour and innovation with the use of
his bold materials. He created a sort of mesh fabric
made of aluminum and employed a laser technique that blended
leather and rubber. I know you remember this one member
dress was one worn at a nineteen ninety four movie
premiere by actress Elizabeth Hurley. She showed off a black
(13:08):
Versace design that was held together on the sides by
only a set of gold safety pins. Do you remember
that dress?
Speaker 2 (13:14):
I do.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
That's another model that is just gorgeous. I swear to
Chyle has not touched that woman.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
I know all the same way she looks gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
But yes, yes, I remember that dress like that's burned
in my memory too. His works didn't just win the
adoration of the Hollywood elite and tap musicians. Versachi won
a boatload of awards over his career, including the nineteen
eighty seven Meschera Dargento Award for his work in theaters,
(13:44):
four prestigious Leochiodorus prices, and in nineteen ninety three the
American Fashion Oscar. His creations also found homes and museums
such as the Kobe City Museum in Japan, the National
Field Museum in Chicago, and London Royal College of Arts.
He was one of the first designers in the fashion
universe to live his life as an out gay man,
(14:07):
though he did so in an unassuming fashion. Everyone seemed
to know about his sexual orientation and romantic relationships, including
one of the longest lasting pairings in the fashion orbit.
He and partner Antonio Dimico were together for thirteen years
up until his death in nineteen ninety seven, and were
highly visible on the fashion scene. Demiko was a model
(14:29):
and a designer in his own right, and he credited
Versace for his growth in the art of fashion. Diamico
spent twenty four hours a day with him as the
couple spent time among the designer's jaw dropping homes around
the globe, as well as office hours. He said, for me,
it was like going to school and learning from the
best teacher you can have.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
I got yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
He eventually left the Versace business to start his own
design company. Yanni didn't have children of his own, but
he did have nieces and nephews. Was a especially close
to his two nephews, won the son of his brother Santo,
and the other the son of sister Donatella. He was
also very fond of Dona Tella's daughter Alegra, who was
aligned with the Icon's business for many years. When Versacei
(15:15):
chose to make a home for himself and Demiko in
Miami Beach, Florida, the city wasn't the flashy, bold localities today.
He bought a hotel and an apartment building that was
uninhabited and created a breath taking mansion with lush, opulent grounds.
His presence in Miami Beach helped to boost the city
(15:36):
and change its dynamics, bringing loads of the rich and
famous to visit and live, breathing new life into the
city itself. It was just another example of Gianni's understanding
the lure and importance of the time he lived in.
He once said quote, I hate designers who live in
an ivory tower. I think you have to be part
of this culture, of this music, of our time. If
(15:58):
you understand your time, you are a designer. Miami Beach, however,
was his last stop, and that was all because of
an unhinged man from the West Coast. So I'll tell
you a little bit about his killer. Andrew Patrick Cunanan
was born on August thirty first, nineteen sixty nine, making
him a virgo in San Diego, California, the youngest of
(16:21):
four children raised by father Modesto and mother Mary Anne Modesto,
was born in the Philippines. He was a retired serviceman
of the US Navy who moved into the stock market
when he retired from service. His mother was an Italian
American who had been born Mary Anne Schillaci. The couple's
relationship was volatile and tense. Andrew would often seek refuge
(16:44):
from the charged environment by staying in his room as
an escape. Cunanan attended public schools all the way through
part of his high school years, when he moved into
the top tier Bishop's School based on his grades and
high level of intelligence. His peers at the time said
that Counanan was fluent in seven languages and had a
style of his own. In an interview with CBS News,
(17:07):
one former classmate said that he had a quote unquote
star quality and a keen sense of fashion. He said, quote,
I remember that Andrew would put dimes in his penny loafers. Remember,
penny loafers were huge.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
I remember that, that's my favorite shoe of the eighties
and nineties.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Yes, and the quote continues. It was always that little
extra something that made him stand out in the crowd
and get noticed. Andrew sort of had this air about
him that I thought this was kind of beyond his
years at the time. End quote. His fellow students weren't
the only ones taking notice of Counanan's good looks and
fashion sense. At school, he was popular and generally well liked.
(17:45):
He was openly gay, and when he was just fifteen,
he began frequenting the San Diego area gay bars. His
skills at disguising his true self came in handy, and
he passed for someone much older and of a for ethnicity.
Even people he partied with wouldn't be able to recognize
(18:05):
his disguised self. The next night. He kept burning the
candle at both ends, school by day and parties by night.
Kunanan graduated from the Bishop's School in nineteen eighty seven
and earned the title of most Likely to be Remembered
for his senior class. It was after his graduation that
his father was facing charges of embezzlement for allegedly making
(18:26):
off with more than one hundred thousand dollars. His dad
fled the country and left Andrew, his siblings, and his
mother to fend for themselves.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
What a stand up guy, No kidding? Yeah, nice role model.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
M So the family had to move to a seedier
part of the area, which left a deep impression on Andrew.
Around this time, his mother found out that he was gay,
and in following an argument they had, he pushed his
mom and dislocated her shoulder. Things continued to go downhill
for him when it came to family. He continued his
(18:58):
education at the Universe of San Diego, studying history. It
turned out that he liked partying more than studying, so
he attending college. Andrew went to visit his father in
the Philippines and was shocked and embarrassed to see him
living in poverty. This was not the life Andrew wanted
for himself, so when he came back to San Diego,
he went back to the gay bars and charmed men
(19:20):
who were older and had a lot of money. In
his career as an escort, he would attend ritzy social
events where he was introduced by his benefactors as a
secretary or an associate, they would lavish the young, handsome
Cunanan with money and gifts. One of his employers gave
him a thirty thousand dollars car so that he could
get around. He was making a good living off his
(19:42):
looks and innate charm. Counanan continued to be a chameleon,
using different names in stories. It is said that at
one event he was introduced to Gianni VERSACEI, who thought
he was someone else. Cunanan went along with that story.
I don't know if that was true.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
So he thought Andrew Cunanan was somebody else that he yeah,
oh okay, So Andrew is like this chameleon, like got
a look where familiarity about him that makes you think
of other people.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
Maybe yeah, maybe. I mean he does have like a face,
so he's had Filipino. You know, you're not sure is
the Asian is he He's had a really good chameleon
look and or he could be anything. Almost.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
It's funny because my ex husband had that saying because
I think because of his half Hawaiian, he said whatever
the minority was in the area he lived in, was
who people thought he was so when he lived in Oklahoma,
they thought he was Mexican.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
When he lived in Michigan, they thought that he was
Arabic or kal Dion whatever. Not that they're a minor, right,
but in Dearborn because we lived in Dearborn.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
So that yeah, yeah, and that was funny, you know,
and he just kind of accepted it.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
They'll never guess correctly.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Yeah, they're not gonna say, oh, he's half fall.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Here, here's the Hawaiian. Pick the Hawaiian out of a
dark haired culture.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Yeah, a Pacific islander. Look right, that's funny.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
But I can understand that kind of air about him
or quality of Andrew and playing on it.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Because it sounds like he's looking to be a sugar baby.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Oh for sure. Right, He's like, I don't want to
be poor, and I don't want to work. I don't
want to work. I'm gonna use my good looks, yes,
my charm. And he's very intelligent, you know, he's just
going to use that. And he's young.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
He's got five year window, you know, five now you're old.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Yeah, exactically. So. In addition to his duties when he
was working as a sex worker, Kunianan started to take
bits in violent pornography films. He started to like the
pain he received and inflicted in those roles. The partying continued,
but his demeanor shifted when he started to change physically
(22:06):
as well. He was getting older and aging out of
his target manufactors preferred demographic. In nineteen ninety seven, when
he was twenty seven, he started to gain weight and
really stopped taking care of himself. He was convinced that
he had contracted HIV when he started to notice symptoms
of that disease. This thought was yet another turn in
(22:28):
the murderous road he would soon travel. He did see
a doctor to get an HIV test, but he never
bothered to learn the results. After the events to come,
it was revealed that in actuality, he did not have
the virus. When he wasn't able to charm the rich
patrons of the gay bars, Cunanan turned to small time
theft and sex work to stay alive. He even became
(22:50):
a drug dealer, selling pink killers that he would mix
with alcohol and take himself. Kunan And had a litany
of psychological issues. He was a narcissist and looks and
adoration meant everything to him. He demanded attention and wanted
to be seen as a success in life. The abandonment
that he felt when he was younger manifested in extreme
(23:11):
anger when he thought people were ignoring or underestimating him.
He was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Eventually, at the
height of his popularity with men with means, he would
take groups out for dinner or drinks and insist on
paying the bill, even if it topped over one thousand dollars.
He was good at lying and did so without batting
(23:33):
an eye. San Diego friends knew him by other names
and personas, such as Andrew D. Silva, a man who
owned a factory in Mexico. Other names he used were
Drew Cummings, David Morales, and Kurt Damars, among others. He
told other people that his parents were rich and lived
in the Philippines. He would show off a quote wife
(23:54):
and daughter end quote in a photo he got from somewhere.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
As he Georgia Stanza.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Got out of a magazine, exactly my girlfriend. Yes, so
he's got this total house of carge.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Oh he is, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
Counanan struck up a relationship with a semi out gay
Navy officer named Jeff Trail, a graduate of the Naval
Academy who served in the Gulf War. The two became friends,
though the exact nature of their past isn't known. Around
this time, Cunanan had been dating businessman David Madsen, who
was thirty three and he lived in Minneapolis. Madsen was
(24:34):
a successful man who had applied to both law school
and medical school and was accepted to both before going
into business. The pair's view of the relationship was starkly different,
though Madsen saw it as a casual fleeing were as
Counanan called Madsen the love of his life. Once Madson
made it clear that it was done, Counanan began to
(24:55):
suspect that his former flame was sleeping with his friend,
Jeff Trail. Both men denied that accusation, but the more
Counanan thought about it, the more angry he became. Trail
and Madsen were both more successful in life than he was,
and Conanan didn't like that at all. He decided to
take a one way plane ride to Minneapolis and confront
(25:17):
them both. Madson picked up Counanan at the airport and
drove him back to his home, where Trail was waiting.
The men wanted to try and talk some sense into Buananan,
but he wouldn't have it. He grabbed a hammer and
hit Trail repeatedly in the head, killing him. He forced
Madsen to help him roll the body up in a carpet,
and then kidnapped Madsen in the businessman's red jeep. This
(25:41):
was the beginning of a murder spree that would horrify
and frighten the gay community across the country in coming months. Meanwhile,
Madson's coworkers grew concerned when he didn't show up for
work and they called the police. Officers did welfare check
and found Jeff Trail's body wrapped in the carpet on
the road. Qunanan found that he liked being on the run.
(26:02):
It made him feel like he was outsmarting police and
gave him a sense of power when he had felt
so powerless. Confused with renewed purpose, he pulled Madson's jeep
over on the side of a quiet road near Des Moines, Iowa,
and shot him in the head. Oh my gosh, yeah, Madson.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Had no idea. I thought he just killed Oh.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
No, he killed a bunch.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
He was found days later near East Rush Lake. The
jeep was gone. Once Couiniana realized that the authorities knew
he was in the jeep, he knew he needed to
get a new vehicle. Police aren't exactly sure how he
met up with his next victim, but they know how
he got away. The killer made his way to Chicago,
where he found real estate developer Lee Miglan, who was
(26:50):
seventy two. Miglan was well known in the Chicago area
and beyond for not only his visionary plans to revitalize
old warehouse space, but also his fillan throat efforts. Miglan
is believed to have been attacked after returning from haircut
on May third. He had parked his green nineteen ninety
four Lexus and one of the garages on his luxury
(27:12):
property and likely walked through an alleyway to the back
gate that led Dudley home. It is here that police
believed he was attacked, then brutally tortured and murdered. Micglann
had a wife, Marilyn Meglan. I don't know if you
remember her, but she was a star host at that
time on the Home Shopping Network with her own show
that featured her cosmetic line. She was known as the
(27:34):
Queen of Makeovers. Marylyn returned from a business trip to
Canada on May fourth and was surprised to see that
her husband wasn't home and their Lexus was gone. When
she found a handgun in her home, she called the police.
The gun was later found to be a non working replica.
Neighbor Stephen and Barbara Bayer found Lee's body in another
(27:57):
of the property's garages, tied up with either masking tape
or duct tape. He had been nearly decapitated with pruning
shears that were later recovered, and had a plastic bag
pulled over his head with holes cut out so he
could breathe. He was run over with his own now
missing car after he had been killed. Andrew had stayed
(28:18):
around the home a bit before taking off. He had
eaten some ham from the refrigerator and part of an apple.
It also looked as if he had showered and shaved
before going on the run. Lee Migland's killer remained a
mystery to authorities, but not for long. They found a
vehicle with Minnesota plates that had parked illegally near the
Migland home for days. It was the jeep registered to
(28:40):
David Madsen, one of Andrew's Minneapolis victims. Following that Trail
police learned of the death of Madsen and Jeff Trail
and the bag found at the scene that had Counanan's
name in California address on it. Authorities didn't know how
Counanan was linked to Miglan, but they knew the spree
(29:00):
killer was on the run again, and they knew what
he was driving. With the rapid string of killings and
the brutality that Andrew showed in these killings, the gay
community in Cunanan's native San Diego and elsewhere was feeling uneasy.
The killer's face, name, and aliases were showing up on
TV and in newspapers across the country. After fleeing Chicago,
(29:22):
Cunanan at some point realized Lexus's car phone was being
trecked by the FBI, so now it's time to find
a new ride. Miglin's stolen car was found at the
scene of another murder, this one on May ninth, nineteen
ninety seven, at a cemetery. Police found William Reese, the
caretaker of Finn's Point National Cemetery, in Pennsville, New Jersey,
(29:45):
shot dead in his office. His red truck was missing,
and Miglin's green Lexus was found nearby. Reese was apparently
killed solely for his vehicle. Reese was forty five, and
he was Andrew's fourth victim. They did I know it yet,
but one of the country's most wanted criminals was now
heading south to Florida. Conanan made it to Miami Beach
(30:06):
and took up residence for the next two months in
a less than desirable hotel while he took his time
researching and plotting his final act. Gianni Versacei was hard
at work in Europe preparing his next and final collection. Somehow, Kunanan,
who had been featured on America's Most Wanted and was
on the FBI's top ten most Wanted list, managed to
(30:27):
fly under the radar for two months as he waited
for the perfect opportunity to strike. He had killed four
men over less than two weeks, and the law was
closing in. Johnny Versacei had a target on his back.
Whether or not they had met in San Francisco years
earlier when their paths crossed. This time, the scene was deadly.
(30:49):
Back home at his beloved Miami Beach mansion. Jihanny and
partner Demiko were settling in at what the internationally famous
designer called Casa Cassu Rena. I probably mispronounced it. It
was Versachi's daily routine to walk to South Beaches News Cafe,
(31:12):
a favorite morning spot to pick up newspapers and magazines
just like any other local. July fifteenth, nineteen ninety seven,
was his last visit there. Hunanan had been trailing the
fifty year old fashioned mogul, and as Johnny made his
way back to the front of his home, Andrew ambushed him,
shooting him twice in the head. Johnny fell dead on
(31:32):
the steps to his front door. Yeah. He was officially
pronounced dead at nine to twenty one am that day
after being rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Dimiko
heard the shots and rushed to the window to see
what had happened. He saw his beloved Johnny lying in
a spreading pool of blood, and he screamed, no, No.
(31:53):
A friend who was visiting the couple ran out, followed
by Dimico, who was absolutely devastated. A woman who had
been in the area at the time of the shooting
pointed in the direction of where the shooter had gone,
and versace friend Lazaro Quintana went after him. During the
wild chase, Cananan pointed the gun at Quintana without even
looking back. Another witness saw the shooter run into a
(32:15):
nearby parking garage. Police were swarming the area, and they
raced into the thirteenth Street garage, hoping to nab the suspect. Instead,
they found a pile of clothes and a truck William
Reese's red truck that had been reported stolen back in
New Jersey, and in that truck police found a passport,
I D and other documents that pointed directly at Andrew Cunanan.
(32:36):
The murderer shocked the world, obviously. Sister Donatella was in
Rome preparing her own fashion line when her brother was murdered.
She later said that her two children, Alegra and Daniel,
were watching cartoons in the hotel when their show was
interrupted with the news of the slang of their uncle.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
Oh my gosh, I know your uncle, Yeah I know.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
Ella later said that her children had gone from seeing
animated characters meant to entertain to a scene no child
should witness their uncle lying dead in front of his
home covered in blood. A week after his brutal murder,
more than two thousand friends and family gathered to say
goodbye to Gianni Fersacci at Milan Cathedral in Italy, Elton
(33:19):
John and Sting saying the Lord is my shepherd during
the somber ceremony fit for royalty and real life Royalty
was also there to pay the respects. Princess Diana, who
often wore Vesachi creations, attended the funeral and was seated
next to Elton John, comforting him as he tried to
hold back tears. Jenny was cremated and his remains are
(33:40):
interred at the family vault near Lake Como in Italy.
While his loved ones grieved, it was all hands on
deck as authorities worked quickly to put an end to
Conanan's spree. They later learned that the killer had been
close to capture several times in the past few weeks.
In one instance, he had pawned a gold coin of
Miglands and us his real name on the required documents
(34:03):
that were sent to the police department in nineteen ninety seven.
There wasn't an automated system, so he wasn't flagged right.
Police search for Cunanan for the next nine days before
a caretaker for a houseboat about forty blocks from Janny's
mansion reported a suspected break in. When he went inside
the boat to see what was going on, someone fired
(34:25):
a shot. That's when he went and called the police.
He's like, I'm at authorities had their suspicions. They surrounded
the boat and a standoff began. Four hours later, the
swat team made their move and fired tear gas into
the boat and boarded the vessel. They had heard a
gun shot and rushed to search the boat. In an
upstairs bedroom lay a man's body with a bullet wound
(34:47):
to the head. A forensic expert was brought in to
help confirm the identity of the victim. The fingerprints were
a match. They had finally caught up with Andrew Kannannan,
but justice wouldn't come. He had killed himself in his
final brutal act so the aftermath of Jenny's death. Johnny's
father had died in nineteen seventy eight and his mother
(35:08):
passed away years later after about with liver disease. His
will reived. His will revealed he had left twenty percent
of his company to Donatella and thirty percent to Santo.
Nephew Daniel received his rare art collection. The other fifty
percent of his company went to eleven year old niece Allegra,
(35:30):
with her mother in charge of her daughter's shares until
a leg returned eighteen. Jenny had always called her his
little princess. According to Donatella, the girl was so young
when her uncle was killed that she didn't understand why
he left her such a gift. Her inheritance was worth
about five hundred million dollars.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
Oh my gosh, Yeah, that's crazy. That's the nineties money.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Five hundred k right, exactly, has a lot of fucking money.
That's Allegra felt a great deal of survivor's guilt, and
despite counseling, she began to have issues of her own.
Fashion was in her DNA, but when she came of
age she wanted to be more hands off with the
Versace brand, which now had a new face and Donatella.
(36:17):
Allegra pursued other possibilities outside the fashion world. She also
developed concerning health issues, and while studying at Brown University,
she underwent treatment for anorexia. Observers say that she was
never the same After her uncle's murder, the young woman
struggled with substances as well as her eating disorder. Her mother, Donatella,
(36:39):
also battled addiction, eventually agreeing to enter rehab to kick
her cocaine habit. Allegra said that she lived in such
a cloud after the killing that she had no recollection
of her memories of her uncle and wasn't even able
to recall what he looked like at times.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Oh wow. No.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
Despite wanting to stay away from the family business, Allegra
took her place on the board to the company in
twenty eleven, when she was just twenty four years old.
I know what a responsibility now, Kit twenty four in
twenty eleven, My goodness, I know. As for Versaci's beloved Antonio,
Giohnny had left him a monthly pension for the rest
(37:17):
of his life, and he was given permission to live
in any of the homes the designer owned in the
US and abroad. He became embroiled in a legal dispute
with the Versace clan over the provisions of the will,
but the matter was settled in nineteen ninety eight. Antonio
understandably struggled mightily when he lost his longtime love. In
(37:38):
an interview with People magazine, he said, quote when Janny died,
I was cut in two and he was fifty nine
at the time. He was in a black pit for
eight years, he said, but he did find love again
and lived with partner Alberto Sentinelli in Milan for thirteen years.
Atonio died in twenty twenty two at the age of
(37:59):
sixty three.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
Oh, so young, I know, gosh, so young.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
So young. The Rasachi family maintained control of the company
until twenty eighteen, when Michael Core's acquired it for more
than two billion dollars.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
Oh, I know you.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
Will still court I'm sorry Michael Cores the handbag of course, yes, really, yes,
I mean no Cores had that kind of cash.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
Yes, he also had a whole fashion line, I think
Michael Cores. Yeah, I just know offer from the handbags.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
Yeah, shouldn't come as a surprise. I'm I'm not very
well versed in fashion.
Speaker 1 (38:37):
I know, I'm not like attending the runways in Milan
or anything.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
Wait, it's more than handbags. Interesting.
Speaker 1 (38:45):
Yes, you will still find Jianni Versacei's legacy brand in
boutiques and beyond with the label and everything from ready
to wear clothing to accessories, fragrance, and home items. The
name is still big, bringing in more than eight hundred
million dollars each year. The life and death of Jenny
Versaci had been the focus of several books, as well
(39:05):
as the acclaimed FX series American Crime Story The Assassination
of Jenny Versaci. The show starred Edgar Ramirez as Johnny
and Glee actor Darren Chris as Andrew Cananan. Singer and
actor Ricky Martin starred as Antonio Dimico. Dona Tella says
she gave her blessing for Penelope Cruise to portray her
(39:26):
in the series, even though the Versachi family as a
whole was against even the idea for the show's second season.
Though it has been almost thirty years since the world
lost an icon, Versaci's sleek, sexy, sophisticated style and approach
to both fashion and life lives on. In his own words, quote,
sexy is honesty. I think directness is sexy, saying what
(39:50):
you think, being who you are, not being hypocritical. End quote.
And that's my very sad tale of the death.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
He's mister Giovanni. He's missed. He really was very much
part of the change in pop culture and the how
the whole world changed there in the eighties.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
I mean, we got our credit score, Suddenly, women can
hold open bank accounts, and now this guy is making
all of these beautiful fashions out of Milan. You know,
the world is just changing, and he was right, his
thumb was right on the pulse of it.
Speaker 2 (40:25):
Sad. I know.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
I can remember just seeing like the videos of his runways,
like he seemed like he was very he had a light.
I felt like, yes, he was just so happy. He
loved his creations and being in that world. You could
tell he really loved being a designer and loved art
and loved you know, the models and all of that.
Like he was never I don't think I ever saw
(40:47):
him like looking sour or upset or.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
You or mysterious.
Speaker 1 (40:52):
He was very like joyous, Yeah he was, I remember. Yeah,
So I really feel bad. It was just stupid, Like
I guess.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
So stupid.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
You could get away with a lot, like I said,
pre turn of the century, and I mean two thousand's
not the nineteen hundreds.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
He just walked up to him and shot him in
his front yard.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
And then he's a No.
Speaker 3 (41:14):
One there's no cameras on the street, there's no there's
nothing to help until the police arrive, and then it's
almost like going back to the old time of finding
finding the bad guy.
Speaker 1 (41:24):
Yeah, you know, Yeah, they don't have.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
The technology like today, not that it's so much better,
but it's better.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (41:31):
Yeah, this definitely would have been caught on camera. There
probably would have been cameras at the house, and god
only knows what else, and people who would have had
their cell phones out, and.
Speaker 3 (41:39):
Yeah, someone just tried to pawn this and he used
Andrew Kuananan.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
That's a hot name, and that.
Speaker 3 (41:45):
Would but we're here now and with the loss of
him and others. But that was a great story. It's
been so long, truly, I forgot that Andrew.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
Was a serial killer. Yeah, I knew his name. When
you said his name, I was like, oh, he's right.
Speaker 3 (42:00):
Yeah, but in my imprint and my brain and then't
remember the other details.
Speaker 2 (42:06):
So thank you and.
Speaker 1 (42:07):
The other victims. Yeah, he just one day. I guess
he just snapped and decided to start killing people. I
don't even understand, you.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Know, And he's there and you're you've already done it,
and you're like all right, I guess I'm gonna take
shower and keep going. Yeah, I guess you've got no plans, right,
exactly A long.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
Game, so yeah, no longer at all. You're welcome and
thank you everyone for listening this week. And if you
haven't done so already, please hit the subscribe or follow
button on whatever app you're listening to. You can go
to our website, Crimes Andconsequences dot com. You can listen
to us there. There's also information about merch if you
(42:44):
are so inclined. You can visit patreon dot com slash
t nt crimes if you are interested in becoming one
of our Patreon members, and you can also sign up
on the Apple podcast app. And what that means is
once a week, in addition to this episode that is
free to everybody, Shannon and I release an episode that
(43:07):
is pay only, So if you just can't get enough
of us, please check that out.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
That up.
Speaker 1 (43:13):
So until we meet again, Yes, girl, I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (43:17):
I look forward to our new stories. I love you.
Speaker 1 (43:19):
I love you too. I'll see you later.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
Bye girl, bye, bye bye
This episode mayntain content of a graphic nature, including descriptions
of physical and sexual violence against adults, children, and animals.
Listener discretion is advised. Hi, this is Tanya.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Hi, this is Shannon, and we are.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Crimes and Consequences, a hardcore true crime podcast. Ein Shannon, Hey, gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
How are you?
Speaker 1 (00:47):
I'm doing good? You know it's Friday, the whole weekend.
It has such possibilities.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
It does, and there was ohen, You're right, this is
the weekend that we get to pop ahead. I'm looking
forward to.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
It, very much forward.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
I like to have my coffee out on the deck,
even if it's cold, I don't care.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
I love this song on my face, starting the day
off like that.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
I think in a previous life there wasn't much sunlight
for me because I love it.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Probably sucking a dungeon somewhere right.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Times, bullcrap. But what you got for us this week?
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Girl, Well, I have a pretty famous case. It is
the life and Death of Giohnny Versace.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Ooh, Johnny and Versace as what was that movie?
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Strip teeth?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
It was The Girls show Girls, Yes with Elizabeth Berkeley.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yes, Versace.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
That movie. It just makes me want to watch it
so I can reenact her dance, like everything about okay,
look at my face, everything about that movie.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
I was watching it this How can you be so
overacting on every scene? It was almost a Saturday Night
Live parody movie?
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Is this a joke? Is this hour and a half
flung joke?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
After every scene? Did you say? Nailed it? Nailed it?
I know the director was like, just kiss her next scene.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
I know, right that poor girl. It ruined her career.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
I know her parents put everything into this is just
hearsay obviously from plow When did that movie come out?
But I do remember a little background story. I want
to say she was even from Michigan and her parents
just put everything and she was on Saved by the Bell.
It was just she needed better guidance. She did great.
She's got a great body, she was a great dancer,
(02:47):
great moves. Wow. They really really exploited everything to where
we were like, did I pay for this?
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Did I pay for this? Movie? Was one the god
bless I hope she's doing well because you.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Too, I hope.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I do love the Bell.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
I was a huge Saved by the Bell fan for sure.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
But we're talking about Gianni Versaci.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Today we're talking about Johnny Versaci. So, if you grew
up in the eighties and nineties, which girl, we were there? Yes,
idea of supermodels starting on the runway in a sleek,
sophisticated and sometimes whimsical outfit is woven into the fabric
of just our lives. Right. That was the era of
the birth of a supermodel. Yes, However it wasn't always
(03:34):
that way. High profile design icon Johnny Versaci gets a
lot of credit for that runway revolution. So I'll tell
you a little bit about Johnny. His name was Giovanni Versaci.
He went by Gianni. He was born in Reggio di Calabria.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Italy, girl, use that Italian?
Speaker 1 (03:54):
I know Calabria. There you go Italian? Yeah, on December second,
nineteen forty six, making him a Sagittarius to his parents,
Antonio Versacchi and Francesca Versacchi. His father was a salesman
and his mother owned a dress shop, creating beautiful clothes
(04:16):
for clients. His entire family held the arts and by extension,
fashion very close, like they just were lovers of the art.
Jenny often went with his mom to her dress shop,
and he was captivated by all of the fabrics and
the designs that she drew, so this no doubt sparked
his lifelong passion for both of these things, which was
(04:39):
fully encouraged by his mother, who saw that his talent
was evident even early on. His birthplace is in southern Italy,
just across the Straits of a Messina from the island
of Sicily, in an area known for gorgeous clear waters
and architectural remnants of long ago occupations by the Romans
and the Greeks. The bigest attractions in Reggio di Calabria
(05:02):
is the Riachi Warriors or the Riachi Bronzes, which are
two perfect Greek bronze statues that were discovered off the
coast of Reggio in nineteen seventy two. They're thought to
have been cast around four hundred and fifty BC. Johnny
was one of four Versacei children. Older sister, Tina, was
(05:23):
born in nineteen forty, but she passed away sadly in
nineteen fifty two at the age of twelve after she
cut herself on a carnival ride and got a tetanus
infection that wasn't treated properly. I mean, damn, I know
that's terrible. That's terrible. People died of tetanus. The vaccine
(05:44):
is just so common. It's just crazy to me. That
poor little girl, his poor pains right. The poor family
then came older brother Santo, born in nineteen forty four.
Younger sister Donatella, was born in nineteen fifty five. Both Santo,
who later dabbled in Italian politics, and Donatella would be
a big part of Gianni's fashion empire, which was always
(06:06):
based on family. Johnny and his siblings, like other children
in the city, spent a lot of time playing among
the ruins all around them. The Versace home was actually
next to a crumbling Greek temple. The ruins of once
majestic architectural wonders stood in a start contrast to the
poverty that pervaded in the city after World War Two.
(06:27):
When Gianni was growing up, Jenny attended the Lycio Classico
Tomaso Campanella, which is a high school in Reggio, Calabria.
The campus was known in the area for a strong
curriculum around subjects such as literature and history. He continued
to visit his mother's shop, though now he had advanced
(06:48):
to helping her with her work while creating his own sketches.
It is said that he created his first dress when
he was ten. After graduation, he moved on to the
Academy of Fine Arts in Naples, the Academia d Belle
Arti d Nepoli, where he focused on architecture and design.
(07:08):
Gianni did not complete his full degree, opting instead for
a Diploma d Geometra, which is a draftsman degree, which
is more like a two year degree vocational kind of
more than a bachelor's degree. These types of degrees in
Italy generally focused on things such as construction design or
technical drawing, so he became a trained architect with this degree,
(07:31):
but his real loves were fashion and art, and the
intersection of the two. When Gianni worked in his mother's shop,
he watched her bring her creations to life and then
sketching his own ideas while she worked. In nineteen sixty eight,
he decided to strike out on his own as a
freelance designer. A few years later, in nineteen seventy two,
(07:53):
he took a design job with Callahan and the emerging
Jenny Clothing brand and Jenny Is with a.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
G G E.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
N N Y Jenny became quite popular, and much of
that is credited to Jianny. His skills and materials continued
to blossom. In nineteen seventy five, he brought a leather collection,
his first to the United States for the Coomplice Company.
Three years later, in nineteen seventy eight, he created his
own business, with sister Donatella becoming an integral part of
(08:24):
his work and business, and his brother Santo kept an
eye on the fledging company's financial side. The trio worked
hard to make an impact on the world of fashion.
A year after creating the company, Johnny staged his first
ready to wear show and opened his first store for
his designs in Milan. His bold style grew instant notice.
(08:45):
It was unlike anything that had been showcased before. His
attitude toward fashion is summed up by this quote from him, quote,
I don't believe in good taste. I don't believe in
bad taste. I believe in quality and in fun and
things that make our lives better or happier. Quote. The
nineteen eighties were good to Gianni. It was during this
(09:07):
decade that he became an international fashion sensation. His wares
were instantly recognizable with the inclusion of an image of Medusa.
I don't know if you remember seeing any of his
designs with Medusa.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Medusa is a character from Greek mythology that had snakes
for hair, and it was said that she would turn
people into stone when they dared to glance at her face.
I believe it was men that got turned to stone,
although it could be anybody.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
I think, yes, I think well, I think it's men.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
The symbol was said to come from the ruins where
he played as a child, and it eventually became the
logo for his entire company. The designer said he wanted
that image for a logo because Medusa made others fall
deeply in love with her with no way back from
her spou Janny not only created clothing for the men
and women of the elite class, he also designed costumes
(10:00):
for the arts, bringing his interests together. His creations graced
the stages of top level performances in ballet, opera, and
the theater. In nineteen eighty five, he was allowed to
show his work at London's Victoria and Albert Museum, the
first designer to do so. As the decade came to
a close, VERSACEI built a second line he called Verses.
(10:22):
It was shown to the world in nineteen ninety five
at New York Fashion Week. His sister, Dona Tala took
over these designs, and the Versace brand expanded into other
lines such as Versace Jeans and the lines called Signature
and Instante. Okay, Johnny didn't just reinvent the world of clothing,
though he eventually got into home goods. He's largely credited
(10:45):
with the rise of what we now call supermodels. In
his Fall nineteen ninety one show, Johnny staged his creations
on top models such as Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista,
and Christy Turlington, who walked the runway live syncing the
George Michael hit song Freedom and I don't know if
you know that one but those models had just appeared
(11:08):
in George Michael's video for the song, and having them
showing off for Sachi's line merged popular culture and high
fashion in a way that was unprecedented at the time.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
It really was. Do you remember the everyone wanted to be?
Speaker 3 (11:22):
I wanted to be Linda Evangelisa, she was my favorite supermodel.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
And Christy Charlington, She's cute as a button.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Yeah, I loved I love Cindy Crawford too. They were
all beautiful, Naomi Campbell, all of them gorgeous women. But
they are burned into my mind right.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
We were twenty five, twenty four to twenty five when
we were all. I mean, I don't know how old
these women are now, but I feel like we grew
up with them right in the same kind of like
I was there, true Versachi Jihanni, really the whole culture,
the rock and roll George Michael, I love him and
he reminds me.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Of the super model. He's a male super.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Model, I know. And I remember that video. He did
not appear in it, like he appeared I think briefly
as the director of camera and all of these women
lip sync the song and they just looked gorgeous black
and white black and yeah, it was. It was a masterpiece.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
See was very much orchestrating that time period for sure.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
That link with superstars continued, as Johnny's friends and clients
with star power were often seated in the front rows
of his fashion shows. At any given VERSACEI event, you
might find Eric Clapton to Pac Shakur, Michael Jackson, or
Elton John in attendance. Madonna, Demi Moore, and John bon
Jovi even modeled his clothing. Forsachi's calling card became siren
(12:47):
dresses that oozed glamour and innovation with the use of
his bold materials. He created a sort of mesh fabric
made of aluminum and employed a laser technique that blended
leather and rubber. I know you remember this one member
dress was one worn at a nineteen ninety four movie
premiere by actress Elizabeth Hurley. She showed off a black
(13:08):
Versace design that was held together on the sides by
only a set of gold safety pins. Do you remember
that dress?
Speaker 2 (13:14):
I do.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
That's another model that is just gorgeous. I swear to
Chyle has not touched that woman.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
I know all the same way she looks gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
But yes, yes, I remember that dress like that's burned
in my memory too. His works didn't just win the
adoration of the Hollywood elite and tap musicians. Versachi won
a boatload of awards over his career, including the nineteen
eighty seven Meschera Dargento Award for his work in theaters,
(13:44):
four prestigious Leochiodorus prices, and in nineteen ninety three the
American Fashion Oscar. His creations also found homes and museums
such as the Kobe City Museum in Japan, the National
Field Museum in Chicago, and London Royal College of Arts.
He was one of the first designers in the fashion
universe to live his life as an out gay man,
(14:07):
though he did so in an unassuming fashion. Everyone seemed
to know about his sexual orientation and romantic relationships, including
one of the longest lasting pairings in the fashion orbit.
He and partner Antonio Dimico were together for thirteen years
up until his death in nineteen ninety seven, and were
highly visible on the fashion scene. Demiko was a model
(14:29):
and a designer in his own right, and he credited
Versace for his growth in the art of fashion. Diamico
spent twenty four hours a day with him as the
couple spent time among the designer's jaw dropping homes around
the globe, as well as office hours. He said, for me,
it was like going to school and learning from the
best teacher you can have.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
I got yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
He eventually left the Versace business to start his own
design company. Yanni didn't have children of his own, but
he did have nieces and nephews. Was a especially close
to his two nephews, won the son of his brother Santo,
and the other the son of sister Donatella. He was
also very fond of Dona Tella's daughter Alegra, who was
aligned with the Icon's business for many years. When Versacei
(15:15):
chose to make a home for himself and Demiko in
Miami Beach, Florida, the city wasn't the flashy, bold localities today.
He bought a hotel and an apartment building that was
uninhabited and created a breath taking mansion with lush, opulent grounds.
His presence in Miami Beach helped to boost the city
(15:36):
and change its dynamics, bringing loads of the rich and
famous to visit and live, breathing new life into the
city itself. It was just another example of Gianni's understanding
the lure and importance of the time he lived in.
He once said quote, I hate designers who live in
an ivory tower. I think you have to be part
of this culture, of this music, of our time. If
(15:58):
you understand your time, you are a designer. Miami Beach, however,
was his last stop, and that was all because of
an unhinged man from the West Coast. So I'll tell
you a little bit about his killer. Andrew Patrick Cunanan
was born on August thirty first, nineteen sixty nine, making
him a virgo in San Diego, California, the youngest of
(16:21):
four children raised by father Modesto and mother Mary Anne Modesto,
was born in the Philippines. He was a retired serviceman
of the US Navy who moved into the stock market
when he retired from service. His mother was an Italian
American who had been born Mary Anne Schillaci. The couple's
relationship was volatile and tense. Andrew would often seek refuge
(16:44):
from the charged environment by staying in his room as
an escape. Cunanan attended public schools all the way through
part of his high school years, when he moved into
the top tier Bishop's School based on his grades and
high level of intelligence. His peers at the time said
that Counanan was fluent in seven languages and had a
style of his own. In an interview with CBS News,
(17:07):
one former classmate said that he had a quote unquote
star quality and a keen sense of fashion. He said, quote,
I remember that Andrew would put dimes in his penny loafers. Remember,
penny loafers were huge.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
I remember that, that's my favorite shoe of the eighties
and nineties.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Yes, and the quote continues. It was always that little
extra something that made him stand out in the crowd
and get noticed. Andrew sort of had this air about
him that I thought this was kind of beyond his
years at the time. End quote. His fellow students weren't
the only ones taking notice of Counanan's good looks and
fashion sense. At school, he was popular and generally well liked.
(17:45):
He was openly gay, and when he was just fifteen,
he began frequenting the San Diego area gay bars. His
skills at disguising his true self came in handy, and
he passed for someone much older and of a for ethnicity.
Even people he partied with wouldn't be able to recognize
(18:05):
his disguised self. The next night. He kept burning the
candle at both ends, school by day and parties by night.
Kunanan graduated from the Bishop's School in nineteen eighty seven
and earned the title of most Likely to be Remembered
for his senior class. It was after his graduation that
his father was facing charges of embezzlement for allegedly making
(18:26):
off with more than one hundred thousand dollars. His dad
fled the country and left Andrew, his siblings, and his
mother to fend for themselves.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
What a stand up guy, No kidding? Yeah, nice role model.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
M So the family had to move to a seedier
part of the area, which left a deep impression on Andrew.
Around this time, his mother found out that he was gay,
and in following an argument they had, he pushed his
mom and dislocated her shoulder. Things continued to go downhill
for him when it came to family. He continued his
(18:58):
education at the Universe of San Diego, studying history. It
turned out that he liked partying more than studying, so
he attending college. Andrew went to visit his father in
the Philippines and was shocked and embarrassed to see him
living in poverty. This was not the life Andrew wanted
for himself, so when he came back to San Diego,
he went back to the gay bars and charmed men
(19:20):
who were older and had a lot of money. In
his career as an escort, he would attend ritzy social
events where he was introduced by his benefactors as a
secretary or an associate, they would lavish the young, handsome
Cunanan with money and gifts. One of his employers gave
him a thirty thousand dollars car so that he could
get around. He was making a good living off his
(19:42):
looks and innate charm. Counanan continued to be a chameleon,
using different names in stories. It is said that at
one event he was introduced to Gianni VERSACEI, who thought
he was someone else. Cunanan went along with that story.
I don't know if that was true.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
So he thought Andrew Cunanan was somebody else that he yeah,
oh okay, So Andrew is like this chameleon, like got
a look where familiarity about him that makes you think
of other people.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
Maybe yeah, maybe. I mean he does have like a face,
so he's had Filipino. You know, you're not sure is
the Asian is he He's had a really good chameleon
look and or he could be anything. Almost.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
It's funny because my ex husband had that saying because
I think because of his half Hawaiian, he said whatever
the minority was in the area he lived in, was
who people thought he was so when he lived in Oklahoma,
they thought he was Mexican.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
When he lived in Michigan, they thought that he was
Arabic or kal Dion whatever. Not that they're a minor, right,
but in Dearborn because we lived in Dearborn.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
So that yeah, yeah, and that was funny, you know,
and he just kind of accepted it.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
They'll never guess correctly.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Yeah, they're not gonna say, oh, he's half fall.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Here, here's the Hawaiian. Pick the Hawaiian out of a
dark haired culture.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Yeah, a Pacific islander. Look right, that's funny.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
But I can understand that kind of air about him
or quality of Andrew and playing on it.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Because it sounds like he's looking to be a sugar baby.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Oh for sure. Right, He's like, I don't want to
be poor, and I don't want to work. I don't
want to work. I'm gonna use my good looks, yes,
my charm. And he's very intelligent, you know, he's just
going to use that. And he's young.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
He's got five year window, you know, five now you're old.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Yeah, exactically. So. In addition to his duties when he
was working as a sex worker, Kunianan started to take
bits in violent pornography films. He started to like the
pain he received and inflicted in those roles. The partying continued,
but his demeanor shifted when he started to change physically
(22:06):
as well. He was getting older and aging out of
his target manufactors preferred demographic. In nineteen ninety seven, when
he was twenty seven, he started to gain weight and
really stopped taking care of himself. He was convinced that
he had contracted HIV when he started to notice symptoms
of that disease. This thought was yet another turn in
(22:28):
the murderous road he would soon travel. He did see
a doctor to get an HIV test, but he never
bothered to learn the results. After the events to come,
it was revealed that in actuality, he did not have
the virus. When he wasn't able to charm the rich
patrons of the gay bars, Cunanan turned to small time
theft and sex work to stay alive. He even became
(22:50):
a drug dealer, selling pink killers that he would mix
with alcohol and take himself. Kunan And had a litany
of psychological issues. He was a narcissist and looks and
adoration meant everything to him. He demanded attention and wanted
to be seen as a success in life. The abandonment
that he felt when he was younger manifested in extreme
(23:11):
anger when he thought people were ignoring or underestimating him.
He was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Eventually, at the
height of his popularity with men with means, he would
take groups out for dinner or drinks and insist on
paying the bill, even if it topped over one thousand dollars.
He was good at lying and did so without batting
(23:33):
an eye. San Diego friends knew him by other names
and personas, such as Andrew D. Silva, a man who
owned a factory in Mexico. Other names he used were
Drew Cummings, David Morales, and Kurt Damars, among others. He
told other people that his parents were rich and lived
in the Philippines. He would show off a quote wife
(23:54):
and daughter end quote in a photo he got from somewhere.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
As he Georgia Stanza.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Got out of a magazine, exactly my girlfriend. Yes, so
he's got this total house of carge.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Oh he is, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
Counanan struck up a relationship with a semi out gay
Navy officer named Jeff Trail, a graduate of the Naval
Academy who served in the Gulf War. The two became friends,
though the exact nature of their past isn't known. Around
this time, Cunanan had been dating businessman David Madsen, who
was thirty three and he lived in Minneapolis. Madsen was
(24:34):
a successful man who had applied to both law school
and medical school and was accepted to both before going
into business. The pair's view of the relationship was starkly different,
though Madsen saw it as a casual fleeing were as
Counanan called Madsen the love of his life. Once Madson
made it clear that it was done, Counanan began to
(24:55):
suspect that his former flame was sleeping with his friend,
Jeff Trail. Both men denied that accusation, but the more
Counanan thought about it, the more angry he became. Trail
and Madsen were both more successful in life than he was,
and Conanan didn't like that at all. He decided to
take a one way plane ride to Minneapolis and confront
(25:17):
them both. Madson picked up Counanan at the airport and
drove him back to his home, where Trail was waiting.
The men wanted to try and talk some sense into Buananan,
but he wouldn't have it. He grabbed a hammer and
hit Trail repeatedly in the head, killing him. He forced
Madsen to help him roll the body up in a carpet,
and then kidnapped Madsen in the businessman's red jeep. This
(25:41):
was the beginning of a murder spree that would horrify
and frighten the gay community across the country in coming months. Meanwhile,
Madson's coworkers grew concerned when he didn't show up for
work and they called the police. Officers did welfare check
and found Jeff Trail's body wrapped in the carpet on
the road. Qunanan found that he liked being on the run.
(26:02):
It made him feel like he was outsmarting police and
gave him a sense of power when he had felt
so powerless. Confused with renewed purpose, he pulled Madson's jeep
over on the side of a quiet road near Des Moines, Iowa,
and shot him in the head. Oh my gosh, yeah, Madson.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Had no idea. I thought he just killed Oh.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
No, he killed a bunch.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
He was found days later near East Rush Lake. The
jeep was gone. Once Couiniana realized that the authorities knew
he was in the jeep, he knew he needed to
get a new vehicle. Police aren't exactly sure how he
met up with his next victim, but they know how
he got away. The killer made his way to Chicago,
where he found real estate developer Lee Miglan, who was
(26:50):
seventy two. Miglan was well known in the Chicago area
and beyond for not only his visionary plans to revitalize
old warehouse space, but also his fillan throat efforts. Miglan
is believed to have been attacked after returning from haircut
on May third. He had parked his green nineteen ninety
four Lexus and one of the garages on his luxury
(27:12):
property and likely walked through an alleyway to the back
gate that led Dudley home. It is here that police
believed he was attacked, then brutally tortured and murdered. Micglann
had a wife, Marilyn Meglan. I don't know if you
remember her, but she was a star host at that
time on the Home Shopping Network with her own show
that featured her cosmetic line. She was known as the
(27:34):
Queen of Makeovers. Marylyn returned from a business trip to
Canada on May fourth and was surprised to see that
her husband wasn't home and their Lexus was gone. When
she found a handgun in her home, she called the police.
The gun was later found to be a non working replica.
Neighbor Stephen and Barbara Bayer found Lee's body in another
(27:57):
of the property's garages, tied up with either masking tape
or duct tape. He had been nearly decapitated with pruning
shears that were later recovered, and had a plastic bag
pulled over his head with holes cut out so he
could breathe. He was run over with his own now
missing car after he had been killed. Andrew had stayed
(28:18):
around the home a bit before taking off. He had
eaten some ham from the refrigerator and part of an apple.
It also looked as if he had showered and shaved
before going on the run. Lee Migland's killer remained a
mystery to authorities, but not for long. They found a
vehicle with Minnesota plates that had parked illegally near the
Migland home for days. It was the jeep registered to
(28:40):
David Madsen, one of Andrew's Minneapolis victims. Following that Trail
police learned of the death of Madsen and Jeff Trail
and the bag found at the scene that had Counanan's
name in California address on it. Authorities didn't know how
Counanan was linked to Miglan, but they knew the spree
(29:00):
killer was on the run again, and they knew what
he was driving. With the rapid string of killings and
the brutality that Andrew showed in these killings, the gay
community in Cunanan's native San Diego and elsewhere was feeling uneasy.
The killer's face, name, and aliases were showing up on
TV and in newspapers across the country. After fleeing Chicago,
(29:22):
Cunanan at some point realized Lexus's car phone was being
trecked by the FBI, so now it's time to find
a new ride. Miglin's stolen car was found at the
scene of another murder, this one on May ninth, nineteen
ninety seven, at a cemetery. Police found William Reese, the
caretaker of Finn's Point National Cemetery, in Pennsville, New Jersey,
(29:45):
shot dead in his office. His red truck was missing,
and Miglin's green Lexus was found nearby. Reese was apparently
killed solely for his vehicle. Reese was forty five, and
he was Andrew's fourth victim. They did I know it yet,
but one of the country's most wanted criminals was now
heading south to Florida. Conanan made it to Miami Beach
(30:06):
and took up residence for the next two months in
a less than desirable hotel while he took his time
researching and plotting his final act. Gianni Versacei was hard
at work in Europe preparing his next and final collection. Somehow, Kunanan,
who had been featured on America's Most Wanted and was
on the FBI's top ten most Wanted list, managed to
(30:27):
fly under the radar for two months as he waited
for the perfect opportunity to strike. He had killed four
men over less than two weeks, and the law was
closing in. Johnny Versacei had a target on his back.
Whether or not they had met in San Francisco years
earlier when their paths crossed. This time, the scene was deadly.
(30:49):
Back home at his beloved Miami Beach mansion. Jihanny and
partner Demiko were settling in at what the internationally famous
designer called Casa Cassu Rena. I probably mispronounced it. It
was Versachi's daily routine to walk to South Beaches News Cafe,
(31:12):
a favorite morning spot to pick up newspapers and magazines
just like any other local. July fifteenth, nineteen ninety seven,
was his last visit there. Hunanan had been trailing the
fifty year old fashioned mogul, and as Johnny made his
way back to the front of his home, Andrew ambushed him,
shooting him twice in the head. Johnny fell dead on
(31:32):
the steps to his front door. Yeah. He was officially
pronounced dead at nine to twenty one am that day
after being rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Dimiko
heard the shots and rushed to the window to see
what had happened. He saw his beloved Johnny lying in
a spreading pool of blood, and he screamed, no, No.
(31:53):
A friend who was visiting the couple ran out, followed
by Dimico, who was absolutely devastated. A woman who had
been in the area at the time of the shooting
pointed in the direction of where the shooter had gone,
and versace friend Lazaro Quintana went after him. During the
wild chase, Cananan pointed the gun at Quintana without even
looking back. Another witness saw the shooter run into a
(32:15):
nearby parking garage. Police were swarming the area, and they
raced into the thirteenth Street garage, hoping to nab the suspect. Instead,
they found a pile of clothes and a truck William
Reese's red truck that had been reported stolen back in
New Jersey, and in that truck police found a passport,
I D and other documents that pointed directly at Andrew Cunanan.
(32:36):
The murderer shocked the world, obviously. Sister Donatella was in
Rome preparing her own fashion line when her brother was murdered.
She later said that her two children, Alegra and Daniel,
were watching cartoons in the hotel when their show was
interrupted with the news of the slang of their uncle.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
Oh my gosh, I know your uncle, Yeah I know.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
Ella later said that her children had gone from seeing
animated characters meant to entertain to a scene no child
should witness their uncle lying dead in front of his
home covered in blood. A week after his brutal murder,
more than two thousand friends and family gathered to say
goodbye to Gianni Fersacci at Milan Cathedral in Italy, Elton
(33:19):
John and Sting saying the Lord is my shepherd during
the somber ceremony fit for royalty and real life Royalty
was also there to pay the respects. Princess Diana, who
often wore Vesachi creations, attended the funeral and was seated
next to Elton John, comforting him as he tried to
hold back tears. Jenny was cremated and his remains are
(33:40):
interred at the family vault near Lake Como in Italy.
While his loved ones grieved, it was all hands on
deck as authorities worked quickly to put an end to
Conanan's spree. They later learned that the killer had been
close to capture several times in the past few weeks.
In one instance, he had pawned a gold coin of
Miglands and us his real name on the required documents
(34:03):
that were sent to the police department in nineteen ninety seven.
There wasn't an automated system, so he wasn't flagged right.
Police search for Cunanan for the next nine days before
a caretaker for a houseboat about forty blocks from Janny's
mansion reported a suspected break in. When he went inside
the boat to see what was going on, someone fired
(34:25):
a shot. That's when he went and called the police.
He's like, I'm at authorities had their suspicions. They surrounded
the boat and a standoff began. Four hours later, the
swat team made their move and fired tear gas into
the boat and boarded the vessel. They had heard a
gun shot and rushed to search the boat. In an
upstairs bedroom lay a man's body with a bullet wound
(34:47):
to the head. A forensic expert was brought in to
help confirm the identity of the victim. The fingerprints were
a match. They had finally caught up with Andrew Kannannan,
but justice wouldn't come. He had killed himself in his
final brutal act so the aftermath of Jenny's death. Johnny's
father had died in nineteen seventy eight and his mother
(35:08):
passed away years later after about with liver disease. His
will reived. His will revealed he had left twenty percent
of his company to Donatella and thirty percent to Santo.
Nephew Daniel received his rare art collection. The other fifty
percent of his company went to eleven year old niece Allegra,
(35:30):
with her mother in charge of her daughter's shares until
a leg returned eighteen. Jenny had always called her his
little princess. According to Donatella, the girl was so young
when her uncle was killed that she didn't understand why
he left her such a gift. Her inheritance was worth
about five hundred million dollars.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
Oh my gosh, Yeah, that's crazy. That's the nineties money.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Five hundred k right, exactly, has a lot of fucking money.
That's Allegra felt a great deal of survivor's guilt, and
despite counseling, she began to have issues of her own.
Fashion was in her DNA, but when she came of
age she wanted to be more hands off with the
Versace brand, which now had a new face and Donatella.
(36:17):
Allegra pursued other possibilities outside the fashion world. She also
developed concerning health issues, and while studying at Brown University,
she underwent treatment for anorexia. Observers say that she was
never the same After her uncle's murder, the young woman
struggled with substances as well as her eating disorder. Her mother, Donatella,
(36:39):
also battled addiction, eventually agreeing to enter rehab to kick
her cocaine habit. Allegra said that she lived in such
a cloud after the killing that she had no recollection
of her memories of her uncle and wasn't even able
to recall what he looked like at times.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Oh wow. No.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
Despite wanting to stay away from the family business, Allegra
took her place on the board to the company in
twenty eleven, when she was just twenty four years old.
I know what a responsibility now, Kit twenty four in
twenty eleven, My goodness, I know. As for Versaci's beloved Antonio,
Giohnny had left him a monthly pension for the rest
(37:17):
of his life, and he was given permission to live
in any of the homes the designer owned in the
US and abroad. He became embroiled in a legal dispute
with the Versace clan over the provisions of the will,
but the matter was settled in nineteen ninety eight. Antonio
understandably struggled mightily when he lost his longtime love. In
(37:38):
an interview with People magazine, he said, quote when Janny died,
I was cut in two and he was fifty nine
at the time. He was in a black pit for
eight years, he said, but he did find love again
and lived with partner Alberto Sentinelli in Milan for thirteen years.
Atonio died in twenty twenty two at the age of
(37:59):
sixty three.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
Oh, so young, I know, gosh, so young.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
So young. The Rasachi family maintained control of the company
until twenty eighteen, when Michael Core's acquired it for more
than two billion dollars.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
Oh, I know you.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
Will still court I'm sorry Michael Cores the handbag of course, yes, really, yes,
I mean no Cores had that kind of cash.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
Yes, he also had a whole fashion line, I think
Michael Cores. Yeah, I just know offer from the handbags.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
Yeah, shouldn't come as a surprise. I'm I'm not very
well versed in fashion.
Speaker 1 (38:37):
I know, I'm not like attending the runways in Milan
or anything.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
Wait, it's more than handbags. Interesting.
Speaker 1 (38:45):
Yes, you will still find Jianni Versacei's legacy brand in
boutiques and beyond with the label and everything from ready
to wear clothing to accessories, fragrance, and home items. The
name is still big, bringing in more than eight hundred
million dollars each year. The life and death of Jenny
Versaci had been the focus of several books, as well
(39:05):
as the acclaimed FX series American Crime Story The Assassination
of Jenny Versaci. The show starred Edgar Ramirez as Johnny
and Glee actor Darren Chris as Andrew Cananan. Singer and
actor Ricky Martin starred as Antonio Dimico. Dona Tella says
she gave her blessing for Penelope Cruise to portray her
(39:26):
in the series, even though the Versachi family as a
whole was against even the idea for the show's second season.
Though it has been almost thirty years since the world
lost an icon, Versaci's sleek, sexy, sophisticated style and approach
to both fashion and life lives on. In his own words, quote,
sexy is honesty. I think directness is sexy, saying what
(39:50):
you think, being who you are, not being hypocritical. End quote.
And that's my very sad tale of the death.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
He's mister Giovanni. He's missed. He really was very much
part of the change in pop culture and the how
the whole world changed there in the eighties.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
I mean, we got our credit score, Suddenly, women can
hold open bank accounts, and now this guy is making
all of these beautiful fashions out of Milan. You know,
the world is just changing, and he was right, his
thumb was right on the pulse of it.
Speaker 2 (40:25):
Sad. I know.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
I can remember just seeing like the videos of his runways,
like he seemed like he was very he had a light.
I felt like, yes, he was just so happy. He
loved his creations and being in that world. You could
tell he really loved being a designer and loved art
and loved you know, the models and all of that.
Like he was never I don't think I ever saw
(40:47):
him like looking sour or upset or.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
You or mysterious.
Speaker 1 (40:52):
He was very like joyous, Yeah he was, I remember. Yeah,
So I really feel bad. It was just stupid, Like
I guess.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
So stupid.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
You could get away with a lot, like I said,
pre turn of the century, and I mean two thousand's
not the nineteen hundreds.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
He just walked up to him and shot him in
his front yard.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
And then he's a No.
Speaker 3 (41:14):
One there's no cameras on the street, there's no there's
nothing to help until the police arrive, and then it's
almost like going back to the old time of finding
finding the bad guy.
Speaker 1 (41:24):
Yeah, you know, Yeah, they don't have.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
The technology like today, not that it's so much better,
but it's better.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (41:31):
Yeah, this definitely would have been caught on camera. There
probably would have been cameras at the house, and god
only knows what else, and people who would have had
their cell phones out, and.
Speaker 3 (41:39):
Yeah, someone just tried to pawn this and he used
Andrew Kuananan.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
That's a hot name, and that.
Speaker 3 (41:45):
Would but we're here now and with the loss of
him and others. But that was a great story. It's
been so long, truly, I forgot that Andrew.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
Was a serial killer. Yeah, I knew his name. When
you said his name, I was like, oh, he's right.
Speaker 3 (42:00):
Yeah, but in my imprint and my brain and then't
remember the other details.
Speaker 2 (42:06):
So thank you and.
Speaker 1 (42:07):
The other victims. Yeah, he just one day. I guess
he just snapped and decided to start killing people. I
don't even understand, you.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Know, And he's there and you're you've already done it,
and you're like all right, I guess I'm gonna take
shower and keep going. Yeah, I guess you've got no plans, right,
exactly A long.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
Game, so yeah, no longer at all. You're welcome and
thank you everyone for listening this week. And if you
haven't done so already, please hit the subscribe or follow
button on whatever app you're listening to. You can go
to our website, Crimes Andconsequences dot com. You can listen
to us there. There's also information about merch if you
(42:44):
are so inclined. You can visit patreon dot com slash
t nt crimes if you are interested in becoming one
of our Patreon members, and you can also sign up
on the Apple podcast app. And what that means is
once a week, in addition to this episode that is
free to everybody, Shannon and I release an episode that
(43:07):
is pay only, So if you just can't get enough
of us, please check that out.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
That up.
Speaker 1 (43:13):
So until we meet again, Yes, girl, I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (43:17):
I look forward to our new stories. I love you.
Speaker 1 (43:19):
I love you too. I'll see you later.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
Bye girl, bye, bye bye
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