Maurizio Gucci’s Convicted Hitman Shoots Son in Face, Attempts Suicide in Shocking Easter Incident

Benedetto Ceraulo pictured in 1995 after his arrest for the shooting of Maurizio Gucci.

Benedetto Ceraulo, the convicted hitman who murdered fashion mogul Maurizio Gucci in 1995, is in critical condition after allegedly shooting his 37-year-old son, Gaetano Ceraulo, in the face before turning the gun on himself. The violent episode unfolded on Tuesday at the family’s home in Santa Maria a Monte, Pisa, Italy, during an Easter gathering.

Reports indicate that a heated family argument erupted, escalating to a point where Ceraulo allegedly retrieved a small-caliber pistol and shot his son in the face. Following the attack, he attempted suicide in the front garden of the home. Despite the severity of the wound, Gaetano remained conscious and managed to drive himself to a bar in the nearby Valdinievole province, covered in blood.

Maurizio Gucci was shot to death outside his offices in Milan in 1995

Emergency services quickly arrived and transported him to Felice Lotti Hospital, where he is now in stable condition. His father, however, is being treated at Cisanello Hospital in Pisa and remains in very serious condition.

Benedetto Ceraulo, 63, gained international notoriety after being convicted of carrying out the assassination of Maurizio Gucci, the former head of the Gucci fashion empire, on behalf of Gucci’s ex-wife, Patrizia Reggiani. The killing occurred in 1995 outside Gucci’s Milan office. Ceraulo was sentenced to life imprisonment but was granted semi-liberty in 2023 after serving 18 years, with the requirement to participate in a social reintegration program.

Patrizia Reggiani, dubbed the “Black Widow,” ordered the hit on her ex-husband Maurizio Gucci.

Reggiani, dubbed the “Black Widow,” was convicted in 1998 and sentenced to 29 years, but was released in 2016 after serving 18 years. The infamous murder case captivated global audiences and was dramatized in the 2021 film House of Gucci, directed by Ridley Scott. The film’s portrayal drew criticism from Gucci’s daughter, Allegra Gucci, who published a memoir, Game Over, to defend her father’s legacy and criticize what she saw as an unjust caricature of her family.

Allegra remained loyal to her mother for years, visiting her in prison and later pursuing a law degree. Her perspective changed after Reggiani eventually admitted to orchestrating her ex-husband’s assassination.