Original subtitles

A NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY SERIES

I can't really say that I was ever a happy child.

I never used to play. I hated toys.

If someone gave me a doll, I'd destroy it.

Dolls disgusted me.

If we assume

that there are many circles of hell,

without a shadow of a doubt, Stefania Nobile can be placed

in the very last one.

I wanted to grow up. I wanted to be an adult.

I wanted to grow up because I wanted to help my mom.

Stefania Nobile showed,

even more than her mother, a level of psychological cruelty

that is very rarely seen

in human beings.

They sent me this.

A talisman!

I had nothing left.

They took everything from me.

Overall, how much did you pay roughly?

Around 250 million liras.

Pay up!

Most of them kept on paying for years.

Because you must die. You must hit your head.

Are you saying that Wanna Marchi told you, "You must die"?

-"You must hit your head"? -Yes.

I wanted to end my life, but I couldn't do it.

No bad luck here!

I'm not surprised that the people here today in this court

are saying that they are intimidated by me.

They are simply the result of the media brainwashing

that they went through during this trial.

They reached 12 million viewers with reports about me and Fosca Marcon.

And now I'm being painted as a monster.

NOVEMBER 28, 2001

So, with our collaboration,

this really smart lady accepted the Master's offer.

And so we followed the scam from beginning to end.

Let me tell you, this end part...

The report aired.

I can guarantee...You didn't sleep last night? You won't sleep ever again.

And it knocked Italians off their chairs.

-Goodbye. -Okay.

Millions of Italians watched it.

Here is Mrs. Fosca with...

We reached 12 million viewers with peaks of 15, 16, 17 million.

The kind of audience only the national football team gets.

Obviously, Striscia's report was a shock.

There was a risk of negative repercussions.

TV EDITOR

not just for Wanna and Stefania Marchi.

A report on Striscia airing at prime time!

You were really amazing.

That was a disaster for TV shopping and TV channels.

They all got lumped together.

Italians didn't trust them anymore.

There was now a justified suspicion.

But the Marchi women started saying...

JOURNALIST

"Look, Striscia framed us."

It was a war between us and them.

And...

I realized that something changed. I was getting messages from all over.

People telling me, "Get out. Put it all on the Master."

This happens in the jet set.

When everyone is picking on you

you get dropped and someone takes your place.

But we're not jet-setters.

I believe in the Master of Life, do Nascimento.

I just couldn't think or understand what was going on.

The Master of Life, do Nascimento.

But it was very painful.

Don't think, now that you're talking about Wanna Marchi more than ever,

that Wanna Marchi will stop!

You can only stop Wanna Marchi if you kill her, okay?

This was all pre-planned.

Wanna and Stefania Marchi.

How could Striscia know

how we used to work?

I'm absolutely convinced

that behind all of this

was the marquis Capra de Carrè.

I don't know if the Striscia la Notizia campaign...

Okay?

...which was long overdue...

JOURNALIST

...came from a Capra de Carrè tip-off.

I know the team at Striscia

operates like journalists.

And if someone gives me a story, it doesn't matter who gave me it.

What matters is that the story is true and in the public interest.

Since we all have skeletons in our closets,

everyone who was giving us air time,

the various TV channels,

suddenly thought, "No.

We don't care about Wanna Marchi, now that she's no longer useful."

They shut down our shows because

nobody wants to go against Striscia.

-One thing is for sure. -Yes.

Wanna Marchi couldn't care less and said she will stay where she is.

But we do care!

We realized that this investigation was going to take a long time

because we had taken the lid off.

In my opinion,

investigations should be done by real authorities, not comedians.

In 2001, I was 29 years old.

I was a young Financial Police captain. I had a lot of enthusiasm.

FINANCIAL POLICE CAPTAIN

When I saw a Striscia la Notizia rerun,

one sentence caught my attention.

"If you don't pay me, I'll call the police."

I'm sorry. I have to stop. I can't do it.

-If you do, I'm going to the police. -Okay.

I'm a detective, so that piqued my curiosity.

Two inquiries began.

We were looking into things as journalists

and the Financial Police were too.

That brutal phone call

clearly constituted attempted blackmail.

So I asked myself, "How many other people

without a camera

had to endure the same thing?"

When I saw that story on Striscia la Notizia,

it was like a knife to my chest

because I realized that my suspicions and doubts

were unfortunately true.

ASCIÈ CLIENT

It was the same methods, the same words.

"Look, the Master has seen your situation

and he has decided to do some more work for you."

The Master and his assistant told you,

they have reassured you.

After this, that's everything.

My son was six years old.

In 1998, we had received a really terrible diagnosis.

He was diagnosed with a serious illness.

I watched a lot of TV at the time

because it kept me company,

and I started being drawn to it.

They were offering me these "rituals."

They called them that because there was some negativity.

My life was at risk.

They took advantage of this weakness of mine

about personal negative energy.

I hoped in good faith that something good would come of it.

Then, over time, the anguish, the fear, and the threats

made me isolate myself even more,

especially because I was...

How can I put it, I was strongly

advised not to talk to anyone about it.

We received hundreds and hundreds of reports from people

who lost big sums

thanks to the Master and the two janitors,

Stefania and Wanna Marchi.

We established

that Stefania Nobile played a very big role.

Her mother was the TV personality,

and Stefania was the person

who could make important decisions

in terms of the business.

The so-called "Master of Life," conversely, didn't have authority

but he was earning a lot of money.

Francesco Campana, Wanna Marchi's partner,

was responsible for the IT side.

DECEMBER 11, 2001

This morning we met with the Financial Police.

They had a warrant, so they broke through the office door

and went in.

The Financial Police searched

and sped up the process, but it still wasn't fast enough

because, after Striscia's story,

that world came to an end. Asciè completely fell apart.

ASCIÈ LTD

We climbed the stairs.

Everything had clearly been deserted, abandoned.

The first thing that I noticed was

the enormous table

with a lot of chairs around it and phones on it.

The receivers were off the hook

as if someone had run away

in a hurry.

It was like Pompeii.

Everything was frozen from the great escape.

We found a computer and an archive.

So the first key step was done.

We had their client database. That was the most important thing.

We found thousands of names.

And by thousands, I mean over 300,000 names.

Names of people, customers the company had been involved with.

These were clearly potential scam victims.

Of course we kept going.

I started traveling around Italy.

I'd like to help other people who might be victims like me.

I was interviewing people who had been scammed.

These were shameful sums.

We were no longer talking about four million liras for some salt,

but rather tens of millions liras.

Hundreds of millions.

'DOOR TO DOOR' WANNA MARCHI'S EMPIRE

So, how did the story start?

Wanna Marchi, Stefania, and do Nascimento became monsters

who had robbed families of their life savings,

attacked the most vulnerable,

and shamelessly exploited people's emotions.

She started selling illusions, often dangerous ones.

They were like loan sharks of souls,

and they had to be punished with an endless media pillory

involving Striscia and many others.

Why do people call Wanna Marchi?

Of course, there is time...

We interviewed a lot of victims,

but we also wanted to talk to Wanna Marchi and the whole team

to get an explanation.

And we decided to bring in the famous Tapir.

Mrs. Marchi, good morning.

How can you end up in prison because of a polystyrene animal? Come on!

I'm here to give you this Salt Tapir.

Striscia la Notizia gives this coveted award

to people who have somehow misbehaved.

-I've nothing to say. -Bye.

You don't have anything to say? After what you did?

Excuse me, Mrs. Marchi?

When the paparazzi,

the journalists, and Striscia start camping out

in front of your house...

That's scary, right?

Mr. Mario, good morning.

-Mr. Mario, tell us... -I have to go.

The worst memory that I have is when...

When do Nascimento called me...

Were you a co-conspirator, Mr. Mario?

"Look, Stefi,

don't worry if you don't hear from me for a while.

I want to cut ties with everything

because I can't take it anymore.

I'm going to stay at a friend's house. I'll call you. Don't worry."

I saw myself as a prisoner in my own home.

I was scared, and I decided to go away at that time.

That's the last call I ever received from do Nascimento.

It was 2001. I haven't heard from him since.

Mario Pacheco do Nascimento.

Where has the psychic gone?

Do Nascimento escaped to Brazil and took a container with him.

GENOA

Thanks to an international agreement, we came in time

to intercept that container in Bahia,

load it back onto the ship, and send it back to Italy.

DO NASCIMENTO'S TREASURE ARRIVES IN GENOA

It's impossible to move a whole house

from one country to another without anyone noticing.

Captain, what are you expecting to find inside the container?

Well, we hope to find something interesting for the investigation.

There's a bit of everything.

Furniture, rugs, pictures, TVs,

silverware, Chinese vases,

and other valuables.

He didn't run away. He went home.

There's only one thing that I've never forgiven him for.

He never even sent a postcard.

No "I'm sorry." Nothing.

I've never forgiven him for that.

-Wow, gorgeous! -Get it?

My friend comes out...

I never spoke to them again.

And I do regret that.

I should have called them, but I didn't.

From lottery numbers to alleged fraud against gullible viewers,

Wanna Marchi is being investigated thanks to Striscia's scoop.

We didn't expect it to lead

to everything that followed.

On January 24, 2002, we left Milan during the night.

We reached Castel del Rio at 3:00 a.m.

It was a lovely villa on the hills outside Bologna.

It was very quiet.

We rang the doorbell.

Wanna Marchi opened the door in her pajamas.

Her daughter and partner arrived.

Their reaction wasn't the best,

especially Wanna Marchi's.

For years, she was a TV shopping icon.

Today, Wanna Marchi and her daughter Stefania

have been imprisoned.

Wanna Marchi, who's being investigated by the Milan prosecutor,

was arrested with her daughter.

...after a nighttime search...

...arrested for fraud and extortion...

Wanna Marchi was taken into custody by the Financial Police,

along with her live-in partner and her daughter, Stefania Nobile.

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

MILAN PRISON SAN VITTORE "FRANCESCO DI CATALDO"

The "Salt Tapir" operation took place last night

to prevent the protagonists of this incredible story

from potentially fleeing to Spain.

After the arrest, we had a press conference.

Code name for the operation was "Salt Tapir"

after the role played by Striscia la Notizia.

Without them, we had nothing.

The scam victims were generally women

aged 45 and older.

The Milan public prosecution

has accused them of conspiracy with the intent of fraud,

and has utilized different means, such as wiretaps.

And during these wiretaps, it came out

that Francesco Campana was organizing an escape to Spain,

where they had contacts and money.

They took us to Milan.

The scoop was well-designed.

They could've taken us to Bologna,

but they took us to Milan, where Striscia was.

In the next few days,

Stefania Nobile's health will be evaluated

to see if it is compatible with imprisonment.

Yesterday, she seemed tired and unsteady.

I couldn't even drive anymore.

My neck was so stiff. I couldn't turn my head.

Of course, when I was arrested,

I shouldn't have been arrested.

Nobody with an illness like mine goes to jail.

Just Stefania Nobile.

We weren't telling the whole world about it.

"My daughter has rheumatoid arthritis." I mean...

From January 24th, we spent 61 days in prison,

then nine or ten months under house arrest.

So they got rid of us for a year.

Shocking figures come to light

in the investigation on Wanna Marchi's scams.

The total figure was shocking.

61 billion liras

from 1996 to 2001.

But clearly, that wasn't all of it.

This amulet could cost between 200,000 and 20 million liras.

The price changed depending on what problems the person described.

I was in hell for three years. It was a downward spiral,

which they don't let you out of. They control you all the time.

They were really horrible people.

They kept picking on those who were already weak.

It would be very easy to say,

"They were asking for it.

Only the stupidest people would fall for it."

PUBLIC PROSECUTION LAWYER

The truth is that every one of us,

even the most rational, the most skeptical people,

could never rule out

the possibility of trusting a stranger's help,

when facing a problem that seems impossible to overcome.

So, they used pressure to convince you...

Oh, yes.

...to buy talismans like this one?

Yes, like this one.

Do you feel humiliated by what happened?

Very much so.

Very much so.

Not so much for...

It's the pride, you know.

The pride of...

I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Once the preliminary investigations were over

and the prosecutor requested an indictment,

a preliminary hearing was set.

The preliminary hearing involved a lot of people.

There weren't just three or four main defendants,

do Nascimento, Marchi, Stefania Nobile and Francesco Campana.

We're talking about the phone operators and all the staff.

There were big fish and little fish.

The "little fish," as we say,

opted for a very convenient procedural choice, which was a plea bargain.

There was another group who chose shortened proceedings,

and that includes do Nascimento.

It was a way of compensating

those who had felt scammed.

MASTER OF LIFE

It had the advantage

of reducing the sentence, whatever that would have been,

by one-third.

The accusations against him were serious.

He took part in and promoted organized crime

to the ends of countless scams.

Had he opted for an ordinary trial,

he would've risked a ten-year sentence.

For the defendants who asked for shortened proceedings

in the TV shopping trial centered around Wanna Marchi,

the harshest sentence, four years,

went to self-styled psychic Mario Pacheco do Nascimento,

who is still at large.

He was at large

when his lawyer asked for shortened proceedings.

So he never spent, and never will,

a single day in prison for these crimes.

So, until proven otherwise,

my mother and I are the only ones who served a year of preventive detention

and risk returning to prison in the near future.

Therefore, my mother and I

want to defend ourselves.

I want and demand

that the accusations be made in a courtroom

because it should be a judge

to decide if I must return to prison, not a journalist.

The trial, which became the trial that we all know,

was ordinary proceedings

that involved Wanna Marchi, Stefania Nobile,

and Campana Francesco.

By definition, that is a public trial.

-You had 306,000 customers? -Asciè did, yes.

Of course. But aren't you surprised that only 140 people

will come to testify at the trial and 70 are suing?

Look, a lot of people were scammed or feel scammed,

without anyone else knowing.

More than 23 people came to me

to bring a civil action, but only 23 went through with it.

People were embarrassed

and didn't want to expose themselves as having been gullible.

This happened all the time.

Every morning, Wanna came into the studio

and said, "For every Wanna Marchi,

30 morons have to wake up to be scammed."

They accused us with their hoods up.

They went on TV to look good and say whatever they wanted.

Now they'll have to come to court and take their hoods down.

-In front of the cameras. -Otherwise...

The cameras were requested by the defendants themselves.

They had lived their lives in front of the cameras

and clearly believed that the trial had to be filmed.

Why shouldn't we want cameras now?

Let me introduce two famous lawyers who are here with us today.

Marco Marzari, the lawyer of some of the civil defendants,

and Liborio Cataliotti, who is Wanna Marchi's lawyer.

Good evening.

Why did they choose me? Ask my two clients.

I don't think it was for my argumentative nature,

but rather because I proved to be comfortable in front of the cameras.

DEFENSE LAWYER

Wanna Marchi and her daughter believed they were the queens of television,

as in fact they were, for other reasons.

They believed that broadcasting the trial through the media

could be useful to them.

They wanted an open-door trial

without sentence reductions

because asking for shortened proceedings means the sentence is reduced

by a third.

Why would we admit to things that we didn't do?

Because bargaining means admitting that you have scammed

the whole world.

That you did things. But it wasn't true.

So why would we do that? Right?

They wanted a fight. In what sense?

Well, Wanna and Stefania,

dragging Campana along,

challenged the court.

The prosecutor had dozens of well-documented complaints.

After seeing all the staff and the phone operators negotiating,

they challenged the Italian justice system.

They wanted to show they were stronger.

That's the choice the Marchi women made.

MAY 4, 2004

Today Wanna Marchi's trial begins

The TV shopping presenter is accused of fraud

along with her partner and her daughter Stefania.

When you get arrested like a criminal, it changes your life,

but I am even more determined now.

The moment they were indicted,

the trial basically turned into...

a reality TV show.

A sober look, a black pantsuit with a polka dot scarf,

brightened by her usual fiery red hair.

Witnesses have been heard for the last two and a half hours.

Antonio Ricci, TV writer.

Hundreds and thousands of reports

reach our editorial staff.

Our writers sift through them.

What did they give you?

A DAY IN COURT INJURED PARTY

They sent me this.

The phone operators played a very important role in the trial.

Did Wanna Marchi and Stefania Nobile want you to keep pushing

to learn their personal situation?

Yes, exactly.

We had to say that there was a jinx, or negativity.

We had to tell parents that their kids would have an accident

and people with old parents that they would die.

It was always about family.

After that, we had to understand

if they had money and how much, based on...

-Ask for money. -Exactly. Yes.

The maximum we asked for was 100 million for one order.

The Asciè phone operators had negotiated a plea bargain.

And, in court,

they became potential evidence against Wanna Marchi and her daughter.

They were on their own against everyone.

I thought I could handle my trial.

I was arrogant.

That's my biggest mistake.

I was arrested

based on a phone call with Ms. Fosca Marcon,

who said that she was badly treated by me

though she was a vulnerable elderly lady.

-You were arrested from a warrant... -Don't raise your voice.

I apologize.

One thing is certain.

Stefania Nobile never imagined

that anyone could be smarter than she was.

You're telling us today

that Ms. Stefania Nobile

threatened you by saying,

"If you don't pay us, we'll call the police"?

-Yes. -Are you sure she didn't say,

"If you don't stop, we'll call the police"?

For the love of God! I'm sure...

-Very sure? -Very sure.

My mom always said,

"If they already had so much, why did they start scamming people?"

FOSCA MARCON'S DAUGHTER

And Campana Francesco's role?

He built and managed the IT system

that could manipulate and delete data.

Another hearing today in Milan's Court of Justice

in the trial against Wanna Marchi and her associates.

There was no way out. You paid up to your last lira.

Their logic was to pile up money by working illegally and not paying tax.

Basically, I did what I did

because they said one of my children would die.

I had nothing left...

because they'd already taken everything from me.

I lost my health as well. What more do you want?

The trial uncovered the real suffering

of those who were scammed.

Your Honor, I can't take it anymore.

Do you need... Yes, take a break.

We'll wait a moment.

Do we need to call an ambulance?

You saw the breakdown of families who had lost everything.

Women who had lost their husbands, their marriages, their children.

I remember this woman's story...

Did you have to pay money to Wanna Marchi's company?

-Yes. -An ordinary woman.

She started stealing from her husband's account. He was a plumber,

the sort of husband who worked 14 hours a day.

Then she started emptying her sons' accounts.

Overall, how much did you pay roughly?

-About 250 million liras. -I remember this woman saying,

"I'm here, but didn't want to be. I wanted to kill myself.

I'd have killed myself but was too scared. But I wanted to die."

My children wouldn't look me in the eye anymore.

My husband wouldn't look at me in the eye.

How could I go on like that?

I...

It was all... I'm still sick

because they robbed me of all my life savings.

Not mine, my husband's!

Stefania was always indifferent.

Wanna occasionally pulled a face as if to say,

"Listen to this bullshit!"

There was never a moment of empathy with the victims

or putting themselves in their shoes.

The victims were always to blame.

For them, they were to blame.

They are two diabolical people.

During the trial, they never looked at me.

But I looked at them.

I was hoping

to have the opportunity to tell them what I thought,

but I never got it.

I don't know...

Maybe I'd spit in their face.

Stefania Nobile was there next to me.

I wanted to make her physically suffer,

because killing her wouldn't have resolved anything.

They should suffer as much as I did, and more, for what they did.

Immense, unspeakable,

and, above all, never-ending suffering.

The trial against Wanna Marchi, former queen of TV shopping,

continues in Milan amid flashes and cameras.

She and her daughter are accused of fraud and criminal conspiracy.

Wanna Marchi,

born in Castel Guelfo on the 2nd of...

Castel Guelfo, in the Bologna province,

on the 2nd of September, 1942.

Education?

Fifth grade.

-Please, if you wish... -Thank you.

I grew up in a family of farmers

with my parents, a younger brother, my paternal grandmother,

two uncles and their wives and four cousins.

Judge, I'm sorry...

Let her talk for a moment, then we'll see. Please.

Go ahead.

I knew that talking was pointless.

Humiliating myself was pointless, talking about how I,

a farmer's daughter...

Let's go back to local news with Wanna Marchi's trial.

I feel sorry

if someone has suffered or feels betrayed by me.

The queen of TV shopping cried in court.

One thing is for sure.

Whenever I hear people say,

"I called Wanna Marchi.

I gave Wanna Marchi money,"

I feel like dying.

Let me tell you this.

When Wanna Marchi got up

to speak to the judge, she walked past her lawyer,

Mr. Cataliotti.

And he said to her, "Wanna, cry."

I heard him say that.

My whole life has always been in front of the cameras. Always.

I have never hidden anything from my audience, never.

I celebrated

their happy times.

I asked them for help when I needed it.

That cry was clearly fake. There were no tears.

No, I don't believe that.

Wanna Marchi is a much more genuine person

than people think.

However, it's true that those statements,

which were very well thought through,

weren't as useful as they could have been,

in my opinion.

But I know why. Because Wanna Marchi, deep down...

She felt innocent.

She was convinced that she'd become so good

that she could sell luck, which is essentially nothing.

"I sell goods

whose intrinsic commercial value is always lower

at an increasingly high price

because I make the difference. It's me,

Wanna Marchi, the saleswoman."

What did she sell? Luck.

And because she considered herself a businesswoman,

she did not consider that a crime.

The way that I see things... why am I a scammer?

Is that what you want to know?

Look, I don't know.

Also, because you see...

We're actually all scammers.

Everybody or nobody.

Because right now, you are a scammer.

At this moment, you are scamming me. What for?

For interest, for money,

because clearly you earn money by doing your job.

And with Wanna Marchi, you will earn a lot.

And I'm happy for you.

We're waiting for the sentence in the trial

against former queen of TV shopping Wanna Marchi,

her daughter, and Marchi's partner.

MAY 10, 2006

When they read the sentence...

Well, you know...

It felt like a movie. Seriously.

The much-awaited sentence

for Wanna Marchi's first instance trial is out.

Two long years of proceedings...

In the name of the Italian people,

this court sentences Wanna Marchi and Stefania Nobile

to ten years imprisonment each.

Campana Francesco is sentenced to four years in prison.

I was listening to the verdict being read,

and I couldn't quite believe it.

The court orders the defendants

to pay compensation for pecuniary and non-pecuniary offenses

caused to the following civil parties...

Gogni Rosa, Є18,000.

Zanotti Iolanda, Є22,000.

It took about five minutes

to read all the names of the victims of these scams.

Є22,000... 16,500...

Є39,000... Є11,500...

Є191,000...

Є156,000...

Є9,500... Є11,000 ...

Є42,000... Є18,000...

As you heard, Wanna Marchi and her daughter

have been sentenced to ten years

for criminal conspiracy and fraud.

There are over 100 victims.

The judges confirmed compensations of over Є2,000,000

to the scam victims.

Carlo, sorry. A ten-year sentence

doesn't necessarily mean in prison, though.

It doesn't at this stage, no.

Of course, there will be an appeal.

The lawyers haven't yet spoken, but there is sure to be an appeal.

The Milan Court of Appeal got rid of some aggravating factors,

cutting the sentence to nine years for Wanna Marchi and Stefania Nobile,

and three years for Marchi's live-in partner, Francesco Campana.

MARCH 27, 2008

I kept thinking,

"There's still another appeal.

They'll give us one year, maybe two. Two at the most."

I always thought, "Two at the most."

MARCH 4, 2009

I was very disappointed.

When I heard about Wanna and Stefania's sentences, I was upset.

Really upset.

It really hurt me.

But...

The Court of Appeals confirmed a sentence of nine years and six months

for criminal conspiracy and fraud.

The time has come for the queen of TV shopping to return to prison

with her daughter Stefania, who was sentenced too.

I remember the night we received the final sentence

very vividly.

I called from Rome to say, "Get ready for the arrest."

We were on the sofa. I didn't say anything.

I got up from the sofa

and went to the living room. I called the police in Imola

and I said, "I'm Wanna Marchi. Good evening."

"There's no need to look for us. We're here."

Wanna Marchi recorded herself

a few hours before being taken to prison in Bologna.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm packed.

I've never run from anything in my life.

That's what I've taught my daughter.

You can't turn the spotlight off Wanna Marchi

after exploiting her for 30 years,

because Wanna Marchi is television.

To all those who have been close to us,

I ask, "Stay close."

There is no doubt that it was fate's cruel joke.

After all, the Greeks call it "nemesis."

It's fate taking its revenge on you.

Wanna Marchi was killed,

metaphorically, of course,

by the very thing that gave her a life,

at least in public opinion of television.

Here she is leaving her villa, escorted by the police.

Wanna Marchi was arrested shortly before 5:00 p.m. in Castel del Rio.

Francesco Campana came to open the gate.

He's been sentenced to three years, of which he's been pardoned.

Wanna Marchi and her daughter must pay the victims Є2,300,000 in compensation.

Wanna Marchi and her daughter Stefania were picked up by the police this evening

and are now in a prison cell in Bologna.

When we were taken to prison,

we found out that we were sharing a cell,

so we were happy at the start.

THE CORAL RITUAL

I remember thinking, "I have to stay here.

Let's try to get used to it as much as possible

and as soon as possible."

Unfortunately, one night...

They opened the door.

And they said, "We're transferring you.

You have ten minutes to say goodbye to your mother."

We got into bed together and cried for ten minutes.

I told her to be strong. She told me to be strong.

During the journey, I found out they were taking me to Pisa.

Stefania is a gorgeous girl.

This is Stefania. Who here doesn't know my daughter Stefania?

It was terrible. I just started writing and writing.

I even wrote her a fairy tale.

I wrote her fairy tales like you do for children.

And then, one day, I was outside in the yard

and I heard her voice.

I thought, "Am I going crazy?" Right?

"Stefania!" I started crying.

I think that was one of the best moments of my life.

I feel guilty, yes, because you know...

I tied her to me that whole time.

She could never have a life of her own.

But it's the same old story.

I hope she forgives me. I hope that... I mean...

I think that, in the end,

Wanna Marchi and Stefania Nobile were victims of themselves.

I think everything hinged on that alchemy between mother and daughter.

It's much more than a normal mother-daughter relationship.

They were almost like a couple,

making a blood oath that lasts for eternity.

That partnership never breaks, and, in my opinion,

that's one of the keys to understanding what happened.

Otherwise, it's difficult to explain

that sort of "Japanese in the jungle" resistance

in front of a world that...

The war is over.

But you keep fighting even though there's no one left,

even if you're in the jungle alone. You can fight forever.

They're two Japanese soldiers

who are talking to each other and moving forward in their battle.

So, any trial, any sentence,

any public shaming, any Striscia la Notizia

just became a reason to keep fighting.

Hello, everyone. I'm Wanna Marchi.

I hardly ever tell this story to people

unless they ask because...

I can't reduce it to, "I worked for Wanna Marchi,

but they did bad things and I quit."

It has to be told properly.

Look, if I had to compare

a movie actress to a TV presenter,

Wanna Marchi and Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard

are a perfect match.

A former silent movie star

who eventually sees her dreams collapse and says,

"Cinema is getting smaller. I'm still big."

They spent many years in prison, yes.

It wasn't insignificant.

But those people don't feel pain.

Okay?

They have a lot of money. A lot.

They need their wealth taken away from them.

Melt the fat deep down.

I think they put some money aside.

No bad luck here!

I might be wrong, but I don't think

they are incredibly wealthy.

Maybe someone's looking for Wanna Marchi's fortune. I wouldn't rule it out.

I fear that is a pointless search.

It doesn't exist.

Does Wanna Marchi have a small fortune stashed somewhere?

Do you know what Wanna Marchi's fortune is?

Her.

She is the only valuable thing that I have in my life.

And that's a lot.

Does Wanna Marchi have a hidden fortune?

I suspect she does, or maybe she did.

It's a great disappointment of mine.

I have ideas that I keep to myself, but I'm fairly sure that...

that we haven't discovered

everything they'd saved.

WANNA MARCHI AND STEFANIA NOBILE WERE RELEASED AFTER SIX YEARS IN PRISON

FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR

THEY HAVE NOW SERVED THEIR SENTENCES AND ARE FREE

THEY HAVE NEVER SHOWN ANY REMORSE

THE "MASTER OF LIFE" DO NASCIMENTO LIVES IN BRAZIL

HE SAYS HE WORKS IN ENTERTAINMENT

HE COULD GO BACK TO ITALY WITHOUT SERVING A SINGLE DAY IN JAIL

WANNA MARCHI LOST HER PARTNER FRANCESCO CAMPANA IN AUGUST 2022,

AFTER THIS SERIES WAS SHOT

SHE LIVES WITH HER DAUGHTER STEFANIA BETWEEN MILAN AND ALBANIA

THEY SHARE A ROOM

Subtitle translation by: Luisa Zamboni