Gunther's Millions (2023) s01e01 Episode Script
Episode 1
1
[dramatic operatic music playing]
[newscaster 1] His name is Gunther,
but he's German so we'll pronounce it
"Goon-ter," and his wealth
comes from, of all things, an inheritance.
[newscaster 2] He's a multi-millionaire,
a real estate tycoon.
He apparently loves caviar
and travels by private jet.
[newscaster 3]
But that's Mr. Gunther to you,
'cause this
is the richest dog in the world.
- [newscaster 4] A German Shepherd
- [newscaster 5] Gunther
[newscaster 6]
Reportedly worth $500 million.
[newscaster 7]
A canine worth millions of dollars?
[newscaster 8] Lucky dog.
[operatic music concludes]
What would you think if I told you
a story about a very wealthy countess
that left her entire fortune to her dog?
[newscaster 9]
Gunther comes from a line of wealthy dogs,
and as ridiculous as this all sounds,
this is actually for real.
[Lucy] The wealth of this trust
is bigger than your imagination.
I mean, you're talking about a dog
that's worth $400 million.
I mean, it's endless.
[Garren] I don't know
if the dog knew it was a billionaire.
It probably didn't know that part.
But it was definitely
in a billionaire lifestyle.
[newscaster 10]
The Guinness Book of Records says
there is a dog named Gunther.
He inherited the money
from a rich German countess.
But then it got bigger than that.
[man]
There's a story here that is off the wall.
We do have a dog.
We do have what appears to be a cult.
It had its "commandments."
[Lucy] They encouraged them to have sex.
Wild, orgy-esque.
[laughter]
We were like lab rats
that were getting studied.
It was creating something
that was completely outside
of anything that I understood before.
We're doing research.
We are creating a new breed of man.
[Piero]
Did you clear with Maurizio this thing?
I'm a careful person. Cut, please.
[man] Where did the money come from?
How did this all come about?
Who is it? Who is the shadowy figure
that's leading us all, the puppet master?
Who is this dog,
what's he doing, why is he doing it?
[man] We have criminals and swindlers.
[in Italian] Apologize to the Americans,
fuck!
- [Aurelien] Okay.
- How's this possible?
[man, in English]
And things spiraled out of control.
[dramatic music]
Oh, it's a true story. I work for the dog.
[upbeat music]
[Lucy] I'm processing in my mind
what I'm gonna say.
- How do you want me to start it off?
- [Aurelien] So, um
[Lucy]
This house has this aura of, like, orgies,
nakedness, young gorgeous people.
Can I say orgies? Yeah, I'm sure they did.
Yeah. Okay.
Yep. You want me to start
from the beginning? Yeah.
I'm Lucy Clarkson,
and I am the head of PR for Gunther.
You probably think,
"How can you do PR for a dog?"
Believe you me, it's been a crazy ride.
There's all of this money
in this fortune with a dog fronting it.
So, this is the story of how it started.
Carlotta Liebenstein was a German Countess
who resided in Munich,
and her husband was a university professor
who came to Germany
as a refugee from Hungary.
They got their fortune
from his amazing pharmaceutical company,
which made them so much money.
In February of 1992,
the Countess passed away.
When she died,
she had no direct relatives,
no one close to her,
and she gave everything to her dog,
Gunther, who she loved so much.
And then the Gunther Trust was created
to make sure the money
stayed with Gunther and the bloodline.
[Aurelien] Is it legal to have a dog
be the beneficiary of a trust?
I don't see anything against it.
[Aurelien] The deed of settlement,
pretty much the Bible for this trust?
- Yes, correct.
- [Aurelien] What do you
I have it in front of me.
That's what here it says.
It says that the dog is the beneficiary.
"Should he die prematurely,
the Trustees will replace him
as the primary beneficiary
by other exemplary species
with the same name."
A lot of people don't realize
that this is Gunther VI.
Prior to the Countess' death,
the Countess had been breeding Gunther
to create a Gunther bloodline.
She was creating the Gunther Dynasty.
[Carla] It's like a royalty, you know?
You have to make sure there's always one
or two or three or four coming after you.
[Piero]
We had Gunther IV follow the bloodline,
and right now we are Gunther VI.
So hopefully we get
to Gunther XXV or something.
[Gunther barks]
[igniter clicking]
[in Italian] I'm Mirko,
Gunther's personal chef.
Today we're making him a nice steak.
[panting]
[in English] So Gunther
has the best lifestyle possible.
The Countess wanted to make sure
that he is treated like a god.
[Mirko, in Italian] We select the meat
just for him because he's a dog
who gets considerable satisfaction
on the culinary level.
[Lucy, in English]
So Gunther has 27 employees.
I'm Lee Dahlberg,
and for the last 20 years,
I've been the spokesperson
for the richest dog in the world.
[Aurelien] What does that mean?
Basically, I was asked
to speak on behalf of a trust,
and let me tell you how it happened.
I remember I was living on a couch,
struggling, so I thought
- [man 1] Dude, I'm sorry, can you stop?
- [man 2] You okay?
- [man 1] Can you take your beads off?
- Oh, yeah.
We can't see 'em, but I can hear 'em.
Sure. No worries.
Well,
I was a struggling actor-model,
taking any job that was thrown my way.
I'm at this wine tasting,
and a woman next to me said,
"I'm a publicist
and I represent a trust fund."
"They've been looking for a spokesperson
a year and a half."
"I think you're the spokesperson."
[camera shutters clicking]
They said an individual
had inherited quite a sum of money,
and his name was Gunther. "Goon-ter."
So, I immediately said,
"Oh, he's German. I don't speak German."
They laughed.
They said, "Neither does he."
I was very confused.
In 1999, Gunther lived in Pisa.
On the way to this meeting,
I walked by a hotel brunch.
I walked in, stole a handful of bacon,
put it in my pocket wrapped in a napkin.
And when I met Gunther, they were like,
"Wow, the dog really likes Lee."
He followed me around for the entire day.
And that is job security, my friends.
I knew this was an opportunity
of a lifetime.
So I wanted to be a tick
on that dog's ass for the rest of my life.
And I've never met an Italian
that didn't know the story.
[Massimo, in Italian] In the '90s,
the dog Gunther
appeared on the Pisan scene
because of the story
of Countess Carlotta Von Liebenstein.
Hi, I'm Massimo Marini,
I'm a television journalist.
The Countess made the dog inherit
138 billion in old Italian lira,
and this drew
an incredible amount of attention.
[newscaster 1, in English] Rich German
left 150 million to the German Shepherd.
[newscaster 2, in Italian]
Gunther is almost as rich as Bill Gates
and as famous as Leonardo DiCaprio.
[Massimo]
In every place in the world,
there was this German Shepherd, Gunther.
[French newscaster, in French]
He eats steaks and caviar for dinner,
under his human handler's supervision.
[in Italian] Obviously,
always accompanied by his guardian angel.
[camera shutters click]
[Lee, in English]
The Countess left instruction in her will
for someone to be a caretaker
over the dog's money.
For better lack of the word,
he's the boss.
And how funny for me
to not know how famous this guy is.
There is a trustee who's been with Gunther
since the beginning,
since before the Countess died.
[Lee] His name is Maurizio Mian.
[newscasters] Maurizio Mian.
[English newscaster] The man pulling
the strings of this puppy show.
I'm like the fricking
glorified pool boy with a microphone,
and he's the owner of the castle.
I mean, he's the genius behind everything.
[applause]
[in Italian] Next to me is Maurizio Mian.
He is the man that manages the millions.
How is that possible?
[Russian newscaster, in Russian] The man
behind the millionaire dog, Maurizio Mian.
[in English] When I first met him,
I didn't know
he was the mastermind behind the dog,
but he just had this aura to him.
Maurizio is, I mean, he's a genius.
[in Italian] Presenting Gunther
and Dr. Mian.
[Lucy, in English]
He has a PhD. He's a visionary.
He's very famous in Tuscany.
He even ran for office.
[in Italian] Is he Mafia?
I don't know. Maybe.
But Mian is very famous.
[Piero, in English]
He's got his own idea.
Some of them I agree with,
some of them I don't.
[barks]
What does Gunther think about rap music?
I think he doesn't like.
He's never heard of Snoop Doggy Dogg?
Doesn't like at all.
[newscaster]
So, is this rich single guy available?
[Lucy] Maurizio is a ladies' man.
I mean, there's no doubt about it.
I mean, he was after me,
I mean, multiple times.
Everyone want to be friends of Maurizio.
Everyone want to be around Maurizio.
[in Italian] He's a little nutty.
[imitates dog barking]
He's very clever, very strange.
No inhibitions. Promiscuous.
I've asked you before,
is he paying you to make this documentary?
[upbeat music]
- [Aurelien] Okay?
- [Maurizio] Okay.
[Aurelien, in English] And look at me.
Important that you don't
Forget the camera.
The camera is not there. Look at me.
[woman] It's like you're having
a conversation with Aurelien
and he's asking questions.
[Aurelien]
Okay?
It's like in porn movies.
The actors, especially the actresses,
are always looking there
What is the The mastermind.
But they should look at a different place,
a different angle.
So with I know. Just to be Okay.
[in Italian] So,
my name is Maurizio Mian.
[big band music]
[in English] I'm living the dream ♪
Feel like I'm walking on air ♪
[Maurizio, in Italian] I didn't start out
as a dog's caretaker or a dog's assistant.
[in English] I did not like dogs too much.
More cats.
[in Italian] Graduated from medical school
and then I specialized in pharmacology.
I was also a university professor
until the age of 37.
Then, at some point, I quit,
because I had achieved
all the goals I set out to achieve.
I grew up
in the context of a large family.
[in English]
Maurizio's parents became friends
with the Countess and her husband,
because they met at a convention
to do with pharmaceuticals.
My family traveled a lot back and forth.
You know, Italy, Germany.
[in Italian] The friendship between
Countess Carlotta and my family
was very strong.
Carlotta Liebenstein
was a fantastic person.
She was a woman who
They just don't make
women like her anymore.
She was a person
of great education and great culture.
To me, she was Aunt Carla.
My mother and the Countess
formed a bond over their love of animals
that was incredible.
But the Countess's life
was not a happy one.
There were many problems
because of a great tragedy
that happened to her.
Her son, Gunther,
he was named Gunther like the dog,
was a great person,
and we were great friends.
There was great intensity.
I'm sorry, I'm getting a little emotional.
It happens. It is a good memory.
Gunther, he suffered a lot.
He suffered from depression.
He was very sick.
And at 26, he committed suicide.
And the Countess's life,
after that moment,
was never the same.
[Lee, in English] She was fortunate enough
to have lots of money,
but it's the cliché,
"Money can't buy you happiness."
[Maurizio, in Italian]
Unfortunately there came a time
when the Countess became very sick.
Her son was gone,
she had no close relatives,
and her husband had already died.
She was alone.
[Lucy, in English]
So, what she did was,
she passed on the love that she had
for her son on to her son's dog,
who was also called Gunther, Gunther III.
And she appointed Maurizio's mom
to take care of the money and the dog.
[in Italian] My mother was technically
in charge of the trust.
But then came a turning point
because she started to feel faint and ill.
All the responsibilities she had
concerning the dog had to be honored.
She didn't force me to do this,
but she asked me to step in
as a legal representative.
I am an only child.
So, in that moment,
I became the universal caretaker
giving me the power to do whatever I want.
Clearly a dog can't manage an inheritance.
[Lucy, in English] Carla is the
second-in-power to the Gunther trust.
She's not only that,
but she is Maurizio's ex-wife.
[Carla] I'm Carla, and I'm Maurizio's
right hand and arm and legs, probably.
Anyway, I met Maurizio in '93.
The CEO of my advertising company told me,
"Carla, we should go to Pisa
and meet this strange guy."
"His name is Maurizio."
When I first arrived, I said,
"Oh my God, where I am? It's paradise."
And there, he was playing
on the ground with Gunther.
So I had so much fun.
And when Maurizio told me
that he was working for a dog,
at that point, I fall in love with him
because that was my dream too, you know?
So I said, "Okay, I want to do that too."
Maurizio and I had a son in September '95,
and we name it I name it, Gunther.
[Aurelien]
So is it for the dog or the son?
Both.
[laughs]
Still now,
even if we are not together anymore,
I really care about him.
Nobody can touch him.
I would kill for him.
Piero Salussolia is our lawyer.
He's representing us
in buying real estate.
He's Italian, I mean,
he understands our feelings,
and he's a good expert
in what we're looking for.
[Piero] I am Piero Salussolia.
I am the attorney for the Gunther Trust.
I have been following the Gunther Trust
since its inception, more or less.
The Gunther Group is composed
of a series of companies
in which there is a Gunther Trust.
And there's a Gunther Corporation,
which is owned by the trust,
and the Gunther Corporation owns,
among many other things,
a yacht in Italy,
we own several properties in Italy,
we own stakes in a company
that runs horses to race.
And other business of which I'm not,
you know, that comfortable in discussing.
[Maurizio, in Italy] The dog must live
the best possible lifestyle,
otherwise I wouldn't be respecting
some of the rules
that have been created
specifically for this dog.
[in English] Gunther always has to be
the main beneficiary of any dollar
that's spent within the trust.
[boat horn blows]
As an example, Gunther loves boating.
A day out in the ocean for him
is just unbelievable.
So, we got a boat.
[Piero] Can I talk about the boat?
[Aurelien] The boat? The one we went on?
The one we want to buy.
[Aurelien] Another one?
Oh. I thought you just bought one?
There's another one you want to buy.
We want to sell the boat.
- [Aurelien] And buy another one?
- Buy a Perini.
- [Aurelien] You want to buy that boat?
- Yeah.
[Aurelien]
Is that your idea or Maurizio's?
Well, I cannot say it's my idea.
It's the dog's idea.
[Aurelien] The dog's idea
is to buy the boat, huh?
How did the dog express the idea?
Come on, Aurelien.
Okay, I want the boat.
Because it's a beautiful idea for the dog.
We can go around the world.
Okay, within certain limits,
if Maurizio wants to buy a plane,
nobody's gonna say no.
They'll say, "Buy a fucking plane."
If Maurizio wants to buy a boat,
"Buy a boat."
Okay, within certain parameters.
If Maurizio would come out now and say,
"Let's spend 50 million
to buy a whorehouse,"
the fiduciary is gonna say no,
Carla's gonna say no.
I, through the literal account
are gonna say "no."
Then Maurizio,
unless he go completely crazy,
he probably says no.
Technically, Maurizio can do
whatever the fuck he wants.
[Maurizio, in Italian]
All these things derive
from the passion the Countess's son had
for the world of glamor,
for the "shiny world."
When he was well
He was actually
often down and very depressed.
But when he was well,
he was very outgoing, very joyful.
He loved music,
television, and entertainment.
And according to the rules,
these things had to be honored.
So we started a band
and made a record.
He made a record.
- Here it is, "Wild Dog."
- "Wild Dog."
By the way, he's also the first dog
to have his own video and song.
The song is "Wild Dog."
[Carla] The Wild Dog album
was released in the '90s
[in English] and the singer
was the dog, you know?
[in Italian] The Günther Group. "Graup"?
- No, "group."
- Group? "Graup" sounds better, no?
Günther "Graup."
Bob Dylan, The Beatles, John Lennon.
Singers who expressed very strong,
very important themes.
Wild Dog itself was a record
with important themes.
[in English]
It really was like an anthem to joy.
[in Italian] It's a hymn to joy.
Do you want it? It's coming, here it is!
["Wild Dog" playing]
[techno music, rhythmic barking]
[singing in English] Can you feel it? ♪
With all the people ♪
[in Italian] To be honest,
the album was not a commercial success.
If it had been,
perhaps the world would be a bit better.
[singer vocalizing]
[Massimo] It was Maurizio's first
adventure in the pop culture arena.
According to him,
the project should have purpose,
that of sending a message
about men and animals
living in full serenity and synergy.
A utopian world in some ways.
[Aurelien, in English] You buy the album?
[in Italian] Don't include this.
It was terrible.
[Maurizio]
The album got little outside support.
But I didn't care
because Gunther would have liked it.
One of Gunther's great passions
I mean Gunther the son,
the one who unfortunately died young.
He enjoyed traveling all over the world.
But he wanted to go to America.
America for him
represented the American dream.
We knew that our goal,
the goal of Gunther the son,
was Miami.
["Conga" by Gloria Estefan
and Miami Sound Machine playing]
I know you can't control yourself
Any longer ♪
Feel the rhythm of the music
Getting stronger ♪
Don't you fight it ♪
[Ed, in English]
In the early 2000s, Miami was hot.
Miami was the place to be.
Everybody had gotten over
the whole Versace murder thing.
["Congo" continues]
[Ed] It kind of encompasses
the best of the best.
And some of the things
that are big in Miami
are lifestyle and spending
lots of money and looking beautiful.
Come on, shake your body
Baby, do the conga ♪
[in Italian] So we tried
to get to know Miami better.
[in English] Believe it or not, folks,
a German Shepherd, a real dog,
might buy this place worth $24 million.
[Lee] One of the first things
they explained
was that they were looking
for a property of notable descent,
something formerly owned
by a famous person.
[newscaster 1] Sylvester Stallone's
Coconut Grove mansion.
Well, the latest is,
it could soon have a new owner.
This dog's actually
looking to buy Stallone's estate.
So far, Stallone's spokesperson
tells Extra
the dog has not made any offer
for Sly's mansion.
We thought that maybe a smaller house,
it could have been better for us.
So, we been looking
the Versace's house at the time,
which was huge too, and, you know,
a lot of money at the same time,
so forget.
And then finally,
it came Madonna's mansion,
which seemed to be, you know, perfect,
because she's the queen of entertainment,
and so we bought that one.
The same famous dog
who tried to get his paws
on Sly Stallone's Miami mansion is now
the owner of the Material Girl's house.
I remember just thinking,
"This is fantastic. Of course."
[Maurizio, in Italian] This was
Madonna's house, the greatest entertainer
in history.
Madonna's spirit was here.
Madonna's bed was here.
The bed where Madonna
conceived her daughter, Lourdes Maria.
[in English] This is how it all began.
This is a check for $7.5 million cash
with a paw print signed by Gunther.
["Material Girl" by Madonna playing]
Some boys kiss me
Some boys hug me ♪
You can only imagine
the chaos that was caused.
There was over 200 press
outside of the house.
Madonna's South Florida mansion
is now owned by a rich German Shepherd.
- [both laugh]
- That's right.
'Cause we are living
In a material world ♪
And I am a material girl ♪
We were interviewed by Good Day L.A.
They did live.
One thing I've learned working for a dog,
is you greet new people
from the behind first.
[news anchor] Is it true
he likes to do it doggy style?
[laughs] All right.
[Lucy] Madonna, apparently
she couldn't believe
that a dog had bought her house from her.
I mean, it's just It's crazy.
You know that we are living
In a material world ♪
And I am a material girl ♪
[in Italian] It was explosive.
I have to admit, buying Madonna's mansion
was the highest point
of the second part of my life.
Yes, I'm extremely happy. Just
We did a live broadcast with Maurizio Mian
and some beautiful girls,
there at Madonna's villa in Miami.
- Massimo!
- Yes?
[in English] FHM girls are here in Miami
Hi.
because of Gunther.
Gunther has brought them here.
Well, Gunther's a bit tired now
because he was shooting all earlier today,
so now he's resting.
Maurizio,
your mother is here in the studio.
Then you're in good hands.
She doesn't like people having fun.
She is too serious.
- Yeah.
- Here we're having fun, understand?
[laughs]
Maurizio's mother was really worried
about everything he did.
And to see him again,
she came up with
an intercontinental audio-video broadcast.
Does he have a ponytail?
Look what he did to himself.
- Yeah.
- And a uniform.
[Massimo]
She was very worried about Maurizio.
- Who combed your hair?
- Yes.
Who combed your hair?
[in English] That night, we heard
that they were going to have an article
at the front of The Herald
that the whole thing was not true,
so I called a press conference
for the steps of the Herald building
at 9:00 the next morning.
[newscaster] Now we find out that the dog
paraded all around town is a phony.
He's Gunther's stand-in.
The real Gunther you will never see.
For security reasons.
[reporter] But we were all
brought here Monday
and told directly that that was Gunther.
Yes.
[reporter] That's a lie.
It was not true.
[reporter] How do you expect us to
believe anything else you're telling us?
[newscaster] Did journalists get suckered
by a publicity stunt?
[reporter] Was there this Countess?
Did this Countess really exist?
As far as I know, yes.
The only thing that was not true
was that we used a stand-in dog
for security reasons.
[Carla] Depending on where we're going,
if we are not really secure
about the place or the people around,
we use a clone of the dog
or a double of the dog.
[woman] Is this the real Gunther?
The one outside? He's the real Gunther.
[laughs]
You're so bad.
[Maurizio, in Italian] The newspapers
said a little bit of everything
because they didn't know
what was true and what was false,
and clearly journalists
preferred saying that it was false.
But in the end, they had to shut up
because the money was there.
Madonna took the money.
Madonna is no longer here. We are here.
[in English] He did prove
he had the money,
which is a big start
of proving anything to somebody.
[Maurizio, in Italian] And, apart from
all of the media attention,
we were interested
in what could be done in that house.
[in English] Remember that we have to
follow the instructions of the trust.
[Lucy] The Countess' will stipulated
that the first beneficiary was the dog.
And the second beneficiary of the trust
was a group of five people
called the Gunther Group.
[Piero] "A music group
formed on the dog Gunther
and from boys and girls
operating around and performing with him."
And if this group of people
are living within the certain parameters
of the Gunther Trust
and with him, the dog,
they are the beneficiary of the trust,
which means
that if the trust buys a certain house,
they'll be allowed to stay in the house.
[Lee] Maurizio came to me and said,
"Hey, Lee, form a group that's going
to sing and dance
on behalf of the world's richest dog."
It was actually listed in the will.
The Countess had laid out a plan.
[Carla, in Italian]
In Miami, there was an evolution.
We abandoned Wild Dog,
which was just a music band,
and created
a full entertainment group
that was called The Burgundians.
[in English] So when I first put the group
together, I went with people I trusted.
The woman I was dating at the time,
Michelle, she's a member of the group.
I was supposed to be the sex kitten.
That was my part in the group.
[Lee] And then my friend Christopher.
[Christopher] So, essentially, he said,
"It's owned by a dog."
"This whole thing's owned by a dog."
And I was like, "You gotta be kidding me."
[laughing] You know,
I'm getting paid by a dog.
Seriously.
[laughter]
[Lee] Maurizio's wife, Carla.
Everything went through Carla.
Maurizio kind of stayed in the background.
[Carla] I needed to be one
of The Burgundians at the time,
because I was, you know,
one of the representatives
for the corporation,
so I was more a leader
than part of the group.
There's our core members,
and we just bonded from day one.
And then, just a few weeks later,
we had the press conference.
Scram, Madonna.
The Burgundians
are taking over your place in the sun.
Five aspiring singers-models-actors
revealed very little about themselves.
[Lee] We're definitely gonna have music.
We're working on a TV show.
We're working on a magazine.
[host] Thanks to their canine sponsor,
this new pop group will spend
the dog days of summer
in Madonna's old Miami home.
So they're all gonna live in this home
together and get the money from a dog?
That's exactly right, Rick, and, you know,
perfect place to have it here in Miami.
Makes perfect sense to us.
Of course. It's Miami, it's Hollywood.
- There you go.
- Whatever.
[phone line ringing]
- [Lee, over phone] Hello?
- Hello.
- Lee.
- Yes?
- Do you remember what my name was?
- It's like
I know yours was Gene X but what
Gene X, yeah.
Wasn't one's name Barbie
or something like that?
I think Ginger Snap was yours.
[laughs]
I was involved with The Burgundians
in the very beginning.
At the time,
I was actively getting
into my modeling and acting career.
Initially, I did think
it was a little bit strange.
We were all supposed to be
this glamorous pop group,
and as long as we resided
in the mansion with Gunther,
and, you know, we spent our time with him,
we took care of him,
we were going to just enjoy
all the millions that he was left.
And, of course, that's what attracted me
mainly to it in the beginning.
I thought it was gonna be
an amazing opportunity,
the fame and the glory and the money.
[laughing]
So Gunther is paying the mortgage
and these other people
are coming along for the ride?
[reporter] Pretty much.
And what, singing, acting, dancing?
We don't know what they're doing.
[Lee] The group would always
be five members.
We are a bit like Destiny's Child,
as these members
were always kind of rotating in and out.
At one point,
we wanted to have even more alternates,
and we had a casting.
- [Ed] Tell us your name.
- Sarai.
[Ed] Okay, lay back. Relax.
We want you to be relaxed.
This is like you're at a party
and you're just getting to know
some new friends.
[Aurelien]
Do you remember those casting tapes?
Can you tell us about the casting process?
That's why I was putting you to Ed.
Showtime.
Too much Red Bull.
[exhales]
My name is Ed Arenas.
I've been a casting director here in Miami
and elsewhere for about 25 years.
I've had very many interesting experiences
and diversity of casting jobs,
but none so much
as when this very elegant,
eccentric Italian gentleman
by the name of Maurizio
walked into my office one day.
- Why are you guys here?
- We're chilling.
And we're trying to figure out
how do you pronounce this?
Burgundians?
[Ed] I don't even know.
- Burgundians.
- [Ed] You don't even know?
[indistinct chatter]
Who's next?
[Ed] When I first met Maurizio,
he had a strange request.
He wanted to cast a group of young people
who were fantastic-looking,
very sexual,
very vibrant in their lifestyle,
to change their lives
and live with a rich dog.
I go, "Are you
fucking crazy?"
I mean, um
It wasn't your conventional
casting situation.
Honestly, what's going
through your mind right now?
- [Lee] "What a bunch of creeps."
- [Ed] Other than, "What's going on?"
I think everybody's nice.
Good people.
[Lee] Are we attractive at all to you?
[laughter]
[Ed] The idea of casting the Gunther job
was unlike anything
I'd ever been presented with.
- Do you want me to read the whole thing?
- [Aurelien] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[Ed] Okay, let me
I need to get my glasses, though.
Casting breakdown.
"An audiovisual phenomenal expression
of The Burgundians."
"The Gunther boys are young, good-looking,
vigorous, well-built,
and finely balanced."
"The two boys should be
like Gerald of G-Squad
or Steve of Worlds Apart."
"Possibly with more muscles
and blonde hair."
[Ed] We're here partying.
We're all your friends
and we're getting to know you.
- That's the feel. It's not an inquisition.
- Okay.
[Ed] So, maybe we should start out
with the fun aspects of your personality?
What do you do for fun?
Um
What do I do for fun?
I pretty much just talk to people.
And I'm pretty much
just kind of a corny asshole, I guess.
[overlapped chatter]
- [Lee] Did you say "corny" or "horny"?
- Well, both.
[laughter]
[Lucy] "Three girls
should look like Pamela Anderson,
Victoria of Spice Girls, et cetera."
"Like the cover girls of today's stardom,
but with jaunty buttocks."
[Lucy] "None of them should be fixed
elements if not absolutely necessary."
"The persons of the group
should offer a strong idea of beauty
and almost robotic,
machine-like empty image."
[Aurelien] These casting requirements
are pretty strange.
What are your thoughts on them?
Well, I want to say it
without being a bitch,
but I kind of know he basically
only really only likes beautiful people.
It's this sickness he has in his mind,
but I can't say that.
- [Aurelien] You just said it.
- All right.
- [Ed] Hello again.
- Hello.
- [Ed] How are you today?
- Good. How are you?
- [Ed] Do you like dogs?
- Of course I love dogs.
- [Ed] Where you from?
- Colombia.
[Ed] Colombia. Good.
Good genetic pool down there,
wouldn't you say?
Every once in a while,
you'd hear this Italian guy jump in.
[Maurizio] What do you think
about science?
- About what?
- [Ed] Science.
No comments.
- [all cheering]
- [Lee] Take it off!
[Ed] It was an ongoing job for me.
[applause]
[man] Yes!
[Ed] This casting and molding
and finding new candidates.
I'm up.
[woman]
No one told me it was see-through.
[man] Duke! Duke! Duke!
Part of the process
was like a sort of a talent exhibition.
It was like our version
of America's Got Talent.
Put some music on for him.
[man] Ready and
[music playing]
[whooping]
[Lee] For the singing
and dancing and the choreography,
I brought in my dear friend Maxidus.
All right. It's about time.
My name is Maxidus.
Performing and recording artist.
I sing and dance
and create ambience and space.
As a performance coach,
I was just kind of very excited
to make money to do
what I really want to do with my music.
[Lee] He's a go-getter, genuine soul.
I thought, "He's the perfect guy."
"He can train us
regardless of our skill set."
[singing pitches]
Five, six, seven, and
[all singing in pitches]
Again.
[Maxidus] No, I thought the dog story
was kind of crazy and cool.
But when I got here,
when I first met Maurizio,
he kind of didn't say much.
'Cause no one
really could explain at the time.
No one really explained, it was like,
it's this group, it's The Burgundians.
We're supposed to sing and dance.
They're all living there.
So I'm just getting bits and pieces
as I'm coming along,
and then I'm trying to learn
what's really going on.
Five, six, without the music,
here we go and one
[all] That day ♪
You saw through me ♪
And I was watching them,
reviewing them, like, "What?"
[laughs]
The singers couldn't sing,
the dancers couldn't dance.
One, two, three, four, and five,
down, seven and eight.
One, two That's it. Four, five.
Look who's here!
- Yay!
- [man] Whoo!
[Maxidus] My job is to make them
look good or make it work.
They don't have talent.
How can I do this? But that's my job.
So I was looking forward to seeing
You know, sometimes I'm like,
"Okay, where's the song?"
"What's the song?"
"Give me the song so I can"
I never got a song.
And then I just knew
it was fake.
[dramatic music]
[Maurizio] Science.
Would you like to be a model subject
on studies of behavior?
[Ed] They're behavioral studies
that have been shown that
[Maurizio] On happiness of the generation.
The system generation of happiness?
That if I'd like to be in a study?
[Lee] It's part of being a Burgundian.
[Maurizio]
And how would you like to be a subject
of studies about sexual drive?
Would you like that?
I don't want to be a porn star,
if that's what you're asking.
- [Ed] No.
- [laughs]
[Maurizio] They are not overlapping.
Maybe it's not the same thing.
I was a little trepidatious
about the concept
of what the outside world
would think of what was happening
in this house.
He was creating something
that was completely outside
of anything that I understood before.
Like it was scientific
and genetic specimens.
What seemed really cool before
kind of became weird.
It turned out to be like this sex cult,
and it got a little bit twisted.
[instrumental version
of "Material Girl" playing]
[dramatic music]
[dramatic operatic music playing]
[newscaster 1] His name is Gunther,
but he's German so we'll pronounce it
"Goon-ter," and his wealth
comes from, of all things, an inheritance.
[newscaster 2] He's a multi-millionaire,
a real estate tycoon.
He apparently loves caviar
and travels by private jet.
[newscaster 3]
But that's Mr. Gunther to you,
'cause this
is the richest dog in the world.
- [newscaster 4] A German Shepherd
- [newscaster 5] Gunther
[newscaster 6]
Reportedly worth $500 million.
[newscaster 7]
A canine worth millions of dollars?
[newscaster 8] Lucky dog.
[operatic music concludes]
What would you think if I told you
a story about a very wealthy countess
that left her entire fortune to her dog?
[newscaster 9]
Gunther comes from a line of wealthy dogs,
and as ridiculous as this all sounds,
this is actually for real.
[Lucy] The wealth of this trust
is bigger than your imagination.
I mean, you're talking about a dog
that's worth $400 million.
I mean, it's endless.
[Garren] I don't know
if the dog knew it was a billionaire.
It probably didn't know that part.
But it was definitely
in a billionaire lifestyle.
[newscaster 10]
The Guinness Book of Records says
there is a dog named Gunther.
He inherited the money
from a rich German countess.
But then it got bigger than that.
[man]
There's a story here that is off the wall.
We do have a dog.
We do have what appears to be a cult.
It had its "commandments."
[Lucy] They encouraged them to have sex.
Wild, orgy-esque.
[laughter]
We were like lab rats
that were getting studied.
It was creating something
that was completely outside
of anything that I understood before.
We're doing research.
We are creating a new breed of man.
[Piero]
Did you clear with Maurizio this thing?
I'm a careful person. Cut, please.
[man] Where did the money come from?
How did this all come about?
Who is it? Who is the shadowy figure
that's leading us all, the puppet master?
Who is this dog,
what's he doing, why is he doing it?
[man] We have criminals and swindlers.
[in Italian] Apologize to the Americans,
fuck!
- [Aurelien] Okay.
- How's this possible?
[man, in English]
And things spiraled out of control.
[dramatic music]
Oh, it's a true story. I work for the dog.
[upbeat music]
[Lucy] I'm processing in my mind
what I'm gonna say.
- How do you want me to start it off?
- [Aurelien] So, um
[Lucy]
This house has this aura of, like, orgies,
nakedness, young gorgeous people.
Can I say orgies? Yeah, I'm sure they did.
Yeah. Okay.
Yep. You want me to start
from the beginning? Yeah.
I'm Lucy Clarkson,
and I am the head of PR for Gunther.
You probably think,
"How can you do PR for a dog?"
Believe you me, it's been a crazy ride.
There's all of this money
in this fortune with a dog fronting it.
So, this is the story of how it started.
Carlotta Liebenstein was a German Countess
who resided in Munich,
and her husband was a university professor
who came to Germany
as a refugee from Hungary.
They got their fortune
from his amazing pharmaceutical company,
which made them so much money.
In February of 1992,
the Countess passed away.
When she died,
she had no direct relatives,
no one close to her,
and she gave everything to her dog,
Gunther, who she loved so much.
And then the Gunther Trust was created
to make sure the money
stayed with Gunther and the bloodline.
[Aurelien] Is it legal to have a dog
be the beneficiary of a trust?
I don't see anything against it.
[Aurelien] The deed of settlement,
pretty much the Bible for this trust?
- Yes, correct.
- [Aurelien] What do you
I have it in front of me.
That's what here it says.
It says that the dog is the beneficiary.
"Should he die prematurely,
the Trustees will replace him
as the primary beneficiary
by other exemplary species
with the same name."
A lot of people don't realize
that this is Gunther VI.
Prior to the Countess' death,
the Countess had been breeding Gunther
to create a Gunther bloodline.
She was creating the Gunther Dynasty.
[Carla] It's like a royalty, you know?
You have to make sure there's always one
or two or three or four coming after you.
[Piero]
We had Gunther IV follow the bloodline,
and right now we are Gunther VI.
So hopefully we get
to Gunther XXV or something.
[Gunther barks]
[igniter clicking]
[in Italian] I'm Mirko,
Gunther's personal chef.
Today we're making him a nice steak.
[panting]
[in English] So Gunther
has the best lifestyle possible.
The Countess wanted to make sure
that he is treated like a god.
[Mirko, in Italian] We select the meat
just for him because he's a dog
who gets considerable satisfaction
on the culinary level.
[Lucy, in English]
So Gunther has 27 employees.
I'm Lee Dahlberg,
and for the last 20 years,
I've been the spokesperson
for the richest dog in the world.
[Aurelien] What does that mean?
Basically, I was asked
to speak on behalf of a trust,
and let me tell you how it happened.
I remember I was living on a couch,
struggling, so I thought
- [man 1] Dude, I'm sorry, can you stop?
- [man 2] You okay?
- [man 1] Can you take your beads off?
- Oh, yeah.
We can't see 'em, but I can hear 'em.
Sure. No worries.
Well,
I was a struggling actor-model,
taking any job that was thrown my way.
I'm at this wine tasting,
and a woman next to me said,
"I'm a publicist
and I represent a trust fund."
"They've been looking for a spokesperson
a year and a half."
"I think you're the spokesperson."
[camera shutters clicking]
They said an individual
had inherited quite a sum of money,
and his name was Gunther. "Goon-ter."
So, I immediately said,
"Oh, he's German. I don't speak German."
They laughed.
They said, "Neither does he."
I was very confused.
In 1999, Gunther lived in Pisa.
On the way to this meeting,
I walked by a hotel brunch.
I walked in, stole a handful of bacon,
put it in my pocket wrapped in a napkin.
And when I met Gunther, they were like,
"Wow, the dog really likes Lee."
He followed me around for the entire day.
And that is job security, my friends.
I knew this was an opportunity
of a lifetime.
So I wanted to be a tick
on that dog's ass for the rest of my life.
And I've never met an Italian
that didn't know the story.
[Massimo, in Italian] In the '90s,
the dog Gunther
appeared on the Pisan scene
because of the story
of Countess Carlotta Von Liebenstein.
Hi, I'm Massimo Marini,
I'm a television journalist.
The Countess made the dog inherit
138 billion in old Italian lira,
and this drew
an incredible amount of attention.
[newscaster 1, in English] Rich German
left 150 million to the German Shepherd.
[newscaster 2, in Italian]
Gunther is almost as rich as Bill Gates
and as famous as Leonardo DiCaprio.
[Massimo]
In every place in the world,
there was this German Shepherd, Gunther.
[French newscaster, in French]
He eats steaks and caviar for dinner,
under his human handler's supervision.
[in Italian] Obviously,
always accompanied by his guardian angel.
[camera shutters click]
[Lee, in English]
The Countess left instruction in her will
for someone to be a caretaker
over the dog's money.
For better lack of the word,
he's the boss.
And how funny for me
to not know how famous this guy is.
There is a trustee who's been with Gunther
since the beginning,
since before the Countess died.
[Lee] His name is Maurizio Mian.
[newscasters] Maurizio Mian.
[English newscaster] The man pulling
the strings of this puppy show.
I'm like the fricking
glorified pool boy with a microphone,
and he's the owner of the castle.
I mean, he's the genius behind everything.
[applause]
[in Italian] Next to me is Maurizio Mian.
He is the man that manages the millions.
How is that possible?
[Russian newscaster, in Russian] The man
behind the millionaire dog, Maurizio Mian.
[in English] When I first met him,
I didn't know
he was the mastermind behind the dog,
but he just had this aura to him.
Maurizio is, I mean, he's a genius.
[in Italian] Presenting Gunther
and Dr. Mian.
[Lucy, in English]
He has a PhD. He's a visionary.
He's very famous in Tuscany.
He even ran for office.
[in Italian] Is he Mafia?
I don't know. Maybe.
But Mian is very famous.
[Piero, in English]
He's got his own idea.
Some of them I agree with,
some of them I don't.
[barks]
What does Gunther think about rap music?
I think he doesn't like.
He's never heard of Snoop Doggy Dogg?
Doesn't like at all.
[newscaster]
So, is this rich single guy available?
[Lucy] Maurizio is a ladies' man.
I mean, there's no doubt about it.
I mean, he was after me,
I mean, multiple times.
Everyone want to be friends of Maurizio.
Everyone want to be around Maurizio.
[in Italian] He's a little nutty.
[imitates dog barking]
He's very clever, very strange.
No inhibitions. Promiscuous.
I've asked you before,
is he paying you to make this documentary?
[upbeat music]
- [Aurelien] Okay?
- [Maurizio] Okay.
[Aurelien, in English] And look at me.
Important that you don't
Forget the camera.
The camera is not there. Look at me.
[woman] It's like you're having
a conversation with Aurelien
and he's asking questions.
[Aurelien]
Okay?
It's like in porn movies.
The actors, especially the actresses,
are always looking there
What is the The mastermind.
But they should look at a different place,
a different angle.
So with I know. Just to be Okay.
[in Italian] So,
my name is Maurizio Mian.
[big band music]
[in English] I'm living the dream ♪
Feel like I'm walking on air ♪
[Maurizio, in Italian] I didn't start out
as a dog's caretaker or a dog's assistant.
[in English] I did not like dogs too much.
More cats.
[in Italian] Graduated from medical school
and then I specialized in pharmacology.
I was also a university professor
until the age of 37.
Then, at some point, I quit,
because I had achieved
all the goals I set out to achieve.
I grew up
in the context of a large family.
[in English]
Maurizio's parents became friends
with the Countess and her husband,
because they met at a convention
to do with pharmaceuticals.
My family traveled a lot back and forth.
You know, Italy, Germany.
[in Italian] The friendship between
Countess Carlotta and my family
was very strong.
Carlotta Liebenstein
was a fantastic person.
She was a woman who
They just don't make
women like her anymore.
She was a person
of great education and great culture.
To me, she was Aunt Carla.
My mother and the Countess
formed a bond over their love of animals
that was incredible.
But the Countess's life
was not a happy one.
There were many problems
because of a great tragedy
that happened to her.
Her son, Gunther,
he was named Gunther like the dog,
was a great person,
and we were great friends.
There was great intensity.
I'm sorry, I'm getting a little emotional.
It happens. It is a good memory.
Gunther, he suffered a lot.
He suffered from depression.
He was very sick.
And at 26, he committed suicide.
And the Countess's life,
after that moment,
was never the same.
[Lee, in English] She was fortunate enough
to have lots of money,
but it's the cliché,
"Money can't buy you happiness."
[Maurizio, in Italian]
Unfortunately there came a time
when the Countess became very sick.
Her son was gone,
she had no close relatives,
and her husband had already died.
She was alone.
[Lucy, in English]
So, what she did was,
she passed on the love that she had
for her son on to her son's dog,
who was also called Gunther, Gunther III.
And she appointed Maurizio's mom
to take care of the money and the dog.
[in Italian] My mother was technically
in charge of the trust.
But then came a turning point
because she started to feel faint and ill.
All the responsibilities she had
concerning the dog had to be honored.
She didn't force me to do this,
but she asked me to step in
as a legal representative.
I am an only child.
So, in that moment,
I became the universal caretaker
giving me the power to do whatever I want.
Clearly a dog can't manage an inheritance.
[Lucy, in English] Carla is the
second-in-power to the Gunther trust.
She's not only that,
but she is Maurizio's ex-wife.
[Carla] I'm Carla, and I'm Maurizio's
right hand and arm and legs, probably.
Anyway, I met Maurizio in '93.
The CEO of my advertising company told me,
"Carla, we should go to Pisa
and meet this strange guy."
"His name is Maurizio."
When I first arrived, I said,
"Oh my God, where I am? It's paradise."
And there, he was playing
on the ground with Gunther.
So I had so much fun.
And when Maurizio told me
that he was working for a dog,
at that point, I fall in love with him
because that was my dream too, you know?
So I said, "Okay, I want to do that too."
Maurizio and I had a son in September '95,
and we name it I name it, Gunther.
[Aurelien]
So is it for the dog or the son?
Both.
[laughs]
Still now,
even if we are not together anymore,
I really care about him.
Nobody can touch him.
I would kill for him.
Piero Salussolia is our lawyer.
He's representing us
in buying real estate.
He's Italian, I mean,
he understands our feelings,
and he's a good expert
in what we're looking for.
[Piero] I am Piero Salussolia.
I am the attorney for the Gunther Trust.
I have been following the Gunther Trust
since its inception, more or less.
The Gunther Group is composed
of a series of companies
in which there is a Gunther Trust.
And there's a Gunther Corporation,
which is owned by the trust,
and the Gunther Corporation owns,
among many other things,
a yacht in Italy,
we own several properties in Italy,
we own stakes in a company
that runs horses to race.
And other business of which I'm not,
you know, that comfortable in discussing.
[Maurizio, in Italy] The dog must live
the best possible lifestyle,
otherwise I wouldn't be respecting
some of the rules
that have been created
specifically for this dog.
[in English] Gunther always has to be
the main beneficiary of any dollar
that's spent within the trust.
[boat horn blows]
As an example, Gunther loves boating.
A day out in the ocean for him
is just unbelievable.
So, we got a boat.
[Piero] Can I talk about the boat?
[Aurelien] The boat? The one we went on?
The one we want to buy.
[Aurelien] Another one?
Oh. I thought you just bought one?
There's another one you want to buy.
We want to sell the boat.
- [Aurelien] And buy another one?
- Buy a Perini.
- [Aurelien] You want to buy that boat?
- Yeah.
[Aurelien]
Is that your idea or Maurizio's?
Well, I cannot say it's my idea.
It's the dog's idea.
[Aurelien] The dog's idea
is to buy the boat, huh?
How did the dog express the idea?
Come on, Aurelien.
Okay, I want the boat.
Because it's a beautiful idea for the dog.
We can go around the world.
Okay, within certain limits,
if Maurizio wants to buy a plane,
nobody's gonna say no.
They'll say, "Buy a fucking plane."
If Maurizio wants to buy a boat,
"Buy a boat."
Okay, within certain parameters.
If Maurizio would come out now and say,
"Let's spend 50 million
to buy a whorehouse,"
the fiduciary is gonna say no,
Carla's gonna say no.
I, through the literal account
are gonna say "no."
Then Maurizio,
unless he go completely crazy,
he probably says no.
Technically, Maurizio can do
whatever the fuck he wants.
[Maurizio, in Italian]
All these things derive
from the passion the Countess's son had
for the world of glamor,
for the "shiny world."
When he was well
He was actually
often down and very depressed.
But when he was well,
he was very outgoing, very joyful.
He loved music,
television, and entertainment.
And according to the rules,
these things had to be honored.
So we started a band
and made a record.
He made a record.
- Here it is, "Wild Dog."
- "Wild Dog."
By the way, he's also the first dog
to have his own video and song.
The song is "Wild Dog."
[Carla] The Wild Dog album
was released in the '90s
[in English] and the singer
was the dog, you know?
[in Italian] The Günther Group. "Graup"?
- No, "group."
- Group? "Graup" sounds better, no?
Günther "Graup."
Bob Dylan, The Beatles, John Lennon.
Singers who expressed very strong,
very important themes.
Wild Dog itself was a record
with important themes.
[in English]
It really was like an anthem to joy.
[in Italian] It's a hymn to joy.
Do you want it? It's coming, here it is!
["Wild Dog" playing]
[techno music, rhythmic barking]
[singing in English] Can you feel it? ♪
With all the people ♪
[in Italian] To be honest,
the album was not a commercial success.
If it had been,
perhaps the world would be a bit better.
[singer vocalizing]
[Massimo] It was Maurizio's first
adventure in the pop culture arena.
According to him,
the project should have purpose,
that of sending a message
about men and animals
living in full serenity and synergy.
A utopian world in some ways.
[Aurelien, in English] You buy the album?
[in Italian] Don't include this.
It was terrible.
[Maurizio]
The album got little outside support.
But I didn't care
because Gunther would have liked it.
One of Gunther's great passions
I mean Gunther the son,
the one who unfortunately died young.
He enjoyed traveling all over the world.
But he wanted to go to America.
America for him
represented the American dream.
We knew that our goal,
the goal of Gunther the son,
was Miami.
["Conga" by Gloria Estefan
and Miami Sound Machine playing]
I know you can't control yourself
Any longer ♪
Feel the rhythm of the music
Getting stronger ♪
Don't you fight it ♪
[Ed, in English]
In the early 2000s, Miami was hot.
Miami was the place to be.
Everybody had gotten over
the whole Versace murder thing.
["Congo" continues]
[Ed] It kind of encompasses
the best of the best.
And some of the things
that are big in Miami
are lifestyle and spending
lots of money and looking beautiful.
Come on, shake your body
Baby, do the conga ♪
[in Italian] So we tried
to get to know Miami better.
[in English] Believe it or not, folks,
a German Shepherd, a real dog,
might buy this place worth $24 million.
[Lee] One of the first things
they explained
was that they were looking
for a property of notable descent,
something formerly owned
by a famous person.
[newscaster 1] Sylvester Stallone's
Coconut Grove mansion.
Well, the latest is,
it could soon have a new owner.
This dog's actually
looking to buy Stallone's estate.
So far, Stallone's spokesperson
tells Extra
the dog has not made any offer
for Sly's mansion.
We thought that maybe a smaller house,
it could have been better for us.
So, we been looking
the Versace's house at the time,
which was huge too, and, you know,
a lot of money at the same time,
so forget.
And then finally,
it came Madonna's mansion,
which seemed to be, you know, perfect,
because she's the queen of entertainment,
and so we bought that one.
The same famous dog
who tried to get his paws
on Sly Stallone's Miami mansion is now
the owner of the Material Girl's house.
I remember just thinking,
"This is fantastic. Of course."
[Maurizio, in Italian] This was
Madonna's house, the greatest entertainer
in history.
Madonna's spirit was here.
Madonna's bed was here.
The bed where Madonna
conceived her daughter, Lourdes Maria.
[in English] This is how it all began.
This is a check for $7.5 million cash
with a paw print signed by Gunther.
["Material Girl" by Madonna playing]
Some boys kiss me
Some boys hug me ♪
You can only imagine
the chaos that was caused.
There was over 200 press
outside of the house.
Madonna's South Florida mansion
is now owned by a rich German Shepherd.
- [both laugh]
- That's right.
'Cause we are living
In a material world ♪
And I am a material girl ♪
We were interviewed by Good Day L.A.
They did live.
One thing I've learned working for a dog,
is you greet new people
from the behind first.
[news anchor] Is it true
he likes to do it doggy style?
[laughs] All right.
[Lucy] Madonna, apparently
she couldn't believe
that a dog had bought her house from her.
I mean, it's just It's crazy.
You know that we are living
In a material world ♪
And I am a material girl ♪
[in Italian] It was explosive.
I have to admit, buying Madonna's mansion
was the highest point
of the second part of my life.
Yes, I'm extremely happy. Just
We did a live broadcast with Maurizio Mian
and some beautiful girls,
there at Madonna's villa in Miami.
- Massimo!
- Yes?
[in English] FHM girls are here in Miami
Hi.
because of Gunther.
Gunther has brought them here.
Well, Gunther's a bit tired now
because he was shooting all earlier today,
so now he's resting.
Maurizio,
your mother is here in the studio.
Then you're in good hands.
She doesn't like people having fun.
She is too serious.
- Yeah.
- Here we're having fun, understand?
[laughs]
Maurizio's mother was really worried
about everything he did.
And to see him again,
she came up with
an intercontinental audio-video broadcast.
Does he have a ponytail?
Look what he did to himself.
- Yeah.
- And a uniform.
[Massimo]
She was very worried about Maurizio.
- Who combed your hair?
- Yes.
Who combed your hair?
[in English] That night, we heard
that they were going to have an article
at the front of The Herald
that the whole thing was not true,
so I called a press conference
for the steps of the Herald building
at 9:00 the next morning.
[newscaster] Now we find out that the dog
paraded all around town is a phony.
He's Gunther's stand-in.
The real Gunther you will never see.
For security reasons.
[reporter] But we were all
brought here Monday
and told directly that that was Gunther.
Yes.
[reporter] That's a lie.
It was not true.
[reporter] How do you expect us to
believe anything else you're telling us?
[newscaster] Did journalists get suckered
by a publicity stunt?
[reporter] Was there this Countess?
Did this Countess really exist?
As far as I know, yes.
The only thing that was not true
was that we used a stand-in dog
for security reasons.
[Carla] Depending on where we're going,
if we are not really secure
about the place or the people around,
we use a clone of the dog
or a double of the dog.
[woman] Is this the real Gunther?
The one outside? He's the real Gunther.
[laughs]
You're so bad.
[Maurizio, in Italian] The newspapers
said a little bit of everything
because they didn't know
what was true and what was false,
and clearly journalists
preferred saying that it was false.
But in the end, they had to shut up
because the money was there.
Madonna took the money.
Madonna is no longer here. We are here.
[in English] He did prove
he had the money,
which is a big start
of proving anything to somebody.
[Maurizio, in Italian] And, apart from
all of the media attention,
we were interested
in what could be done in that house.
[in English] Remember that we have to
follow the instructions of the trust.
[Lucy] The Countess' will stipulated
that the first beneficiary was the dog.
And the second beneficiary of the trust
was a group of five people
called the Gunther Group.
[Piero] "A music group
formed on the dog Gunther
and from boys and girls
operating around and performing with him."
And if this group of people
are living within the certain parameters
of the Gunther Trust
and with him, the dog,
they are the beneficiary of the trust,
which means
that if the trust buys a certain house,
they'll be allowed to stay in the house.
[Lee] Maurizio came to me and said,
"Hey, Lee, form a group that's going
to sing and dance
on behalf of the world's richest dog."
It was actually listed in the will.
The Countess had laid out a plan.
[Carla, in Italian]
In Miami, there was an evolution.
We abandoned Wild Dog,
which was just a music band,
and created
a full entertainment group
that was called The Burgundians.
[in English] So when I first put the group
together, I went with people I trusted.
The woman I was dating at the time,
Michelle, she's a member of the group.
I was supposed to be the sex kitten.
That was my part in the group.
[Lee] And then my friend Christopher.
[Christopher] So, essentially, he said,
"It's owned by a dog."
"This whole thing's owned by a dog."
And I was like, "You gotta be kidding me."
[laughing] You know,
I'm getting paid by a dog.
Seriously.
[laughter]
[Lee] Maurizio's wife, Carla.
Everything went through Carla.
Maurizio kind of stayed in the background.
[Carla] I needed to be one
of The Burgundians at the time,
because I was, you know,
one of the representatives
for the corporation,
so I was more a leader
than part of the group.
There's our core members,
and we just bonded from day one.
And then, just a few weeks later,
we had the press conference.
Scram, Madonna.
The Burgundians
are taking over your place in the sun.
Five aspiring singers-models-actors
revealed very little about themselves.
[Lee] We're definitely gonna have music.
We're working on a TV show.
We're working on a magazine.
[host] Thanks to their canine sponsor,
this new pop group will spend
the dog days of summer
in Madonna's old Miami home.
So they're all gonna live in this home
together and get the money from a dog?
That's exactly right, Rick, and, you know,
perfect place to have it here in Miami.
Makes perfect sense to us.
Of course. It's Miami, it's Hollywood.
- There you go.
- Whatever.
[phone line ringing]
- [Lee, over phone] Hello?
- Hello.
- Lee.
- Yes?
- Do you remember what my name was?
- It's like
I know yours was Gene X but what
Gene X, yeah.
Wasn't one's name Barbie
or something like that?
I think Ginger Snap was yours.
[laughs]
I was involved with The Burgundians
in the very beginning.
At the time,
I was actively getting
into my modeling and acting career.
Initially, I did think
it was a little bit strange.
We were all supposed to be
this glamorous pop group,
and as long as we resided
in the mansion with Gunther,
and, you know, we spent our time with him,
we took care of him,
we were going to just enjoy
all the millions that he was left.
And, of course, that's what attracted me
mainly to it in the beginning.
I thought it was gonna be
an amazing opportunity,
the fame and the glory and the money.
[laughing]
So Gunther is paying the mortgage
and these other people
are coming along for the ride?
[reporter] Pretty much.
And what, singing, acting, dancing?
We don't know what they're doing.
[Lee] The group would always
be five members.
We are a bit like Destiny's Child,
as these members
were always kind of rotating in and out.
At one point,
we wanted to have even more alternates,
and we had a casting.
- [Ed] Tell us your name.
- Sarai.
[Ed] Okay, lay back. Relax.
We want you to be relaxed.
This is like you're at a party
and you're just getting to know
some new friends.
[Aurelien]
Do you remember those casting tapes?
Can you tell us about the casting process?
That's why I was putting you to Ed.
Showtime.
Too much Red Bull.
[exhales]
My name is Ed Arenas.
I've been a casting director here in Miami
and elsewhere for about 25 years.
I've had very many interesting experiences
and diversity of casting jobs,
but none so much
as when this very elegant,
eccentric Italian gentleman
by the name of Maurizio
walked into my office one day.
- Why are you guys here?
- We're chilling.
And we're trying to figure out
how do you pronounce this?
Burgundians?
[Ed] I don't even know.
- Burgundians.
- [Ed] You don't even know?
[indistinct chatter]
Who's next?
[Ed] When I first met Maurizio,
he had a strange request.
He wanted to cast a group of young people
who were fantastic-looking,
very sexual,
very vibrant in their lifestyle,
to change their lives
and live with a rich dog.
I go, "Are you
fucking crazy?"
I mean, um
It wasn't your conventional
casting situation.
Honestly, what's going
through your mind right now?
- [Lee] "What a bunch of creeps."
- [Ed] Other than, "What's going on?"
I think everybody's nice.
Good people.
[Lee] Are we attractive at all to you?
[laughter]
[Ed] The idea of casting the Gunther job
was unlike anything
I'd ever been presented with.
- Do you want me to read the whole thing?
- [Aurelien] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[Ed] Okay, let me
I need to get my glasses, though.
Casting breakdown.
"An audiovisual phenomenal expression
of The Burgundians."
"The Gunther boys are young, good-looking,
vigorous, well-built,
and finely balanced."
"The two boys should be
like Gerald of G-Squad
or Steve of Worlds Apart."
"Possibly with more muscles
and blonde hair."
[Ed] We're here partying.
We're all your friends
and we're getting to know you.
- That's the feel. It's not an inquisition.
- Okay.
[Ed] So, maybe we should start out
with the fun aspects of your personality?
What do you do for fun?
Um
What do I do for fun?
I pretty much just talk to people.
And I'm pretty much
just kind of a corny asshole, I guess.
[overlapped chatter]
- [Lee] Did you say "corny" or "horny"?
- Well, both.
[laughter]
[Lucy] "Three girls
should look like Pamela Anderson,
Victoria of Spice Girls, et cetera."
"Like the cover girls of today's stardom,
but with jaunty buttocks."
[Lucy] "None of them should be fixed
elements if not absolutely necessary."
"The persons of the group
should offer a strong idea of beauty
and almost robotic,
machine-like empty image."
[Aurelien] These casting requirements
are pretty strange.
What are your thoughts on them?
Well, I want to say it
without being a bitch,
but I kind of know he basically
only really only likes beautiful people.
It's this sickness he has in his mind,
but I can't say that.
- [Aurelien] You just said it.
- All right.
- [Ed] Hello again.
- Hello.
- [Ed] How are you today?
- Good. How are you?
- [Ed] Do you like dogs?
- Of course I love dogs.
- [Ed] Where you from?
- Colombia.
[Ed] Colombia. Good.
Good genetic pool down there,
wouldn't you say?
Every once in a while,
you'd hear this Italian guy jump in.
[Maurizio] What do you think
about science?
- About what?
- [Ed] Science.
No comments.
- [all cheering]
- [Lee] Take it off!
[Ed] It was an ongoing job for me.
[applause]
[man] Yes!
[Ed] This casting and molding
and finding new candidates.
I'm up.
[woman]
No one told me it was see-through.
[man] Duke! Duke! Duke!
Part of the process
was like a sort of a talent exhibition.
It was like our version
of America's Got Talent.
Put some music on for him.
[man] Ready and
[music playing]
[whooping]
[Lee] For the singing
and dancing and the choreography,
I brought in my dear friend Maxidus.
All right. It's about time.
My name is Maxidus.
Performing and recording artist.
I sing and dance
and create ambience and space.
As a performance coach,
I was just kind of very excited
to make money to do
what I really want to do with my music.
[Lee] He's a go-getter, genuine soul.
I thought, "He's the perfect guy."
"He can train us
regardless of our skill set."
[singing pitches]
Five, six, seven, and
[all singing in pitches]
Again.
[Maxidus] No, I thought the dog story
was kind of crazy and cool.
But when I got here,
when I first met Maurizio,
he kind of didn't say much.
'Cause no one
really could explain at the time.
No one really explained, it was like,
it's this group, it's The Burgundians.
We're supposed to sing and dance.
They're all living there.
So I'm just getting bits and pieces
as I'm coming along,
and then I'm trying to learn
what's really going on.
Five, six, without the music,
here we go and one
[all] That day ♪
You saw through me ♪
And I was watching them,
reviewing them, like, "What?"
[laughs]
The singers couldn't sing,
the dancers couldn't dance.
One, two, three, four, and five,
down, seven and eight.
One, two That's it. Four, five.
Look who's here!
- Yay!
- [man] Whoo!
[Maxidus] My job is to make them
look good or make it work.
They don't have talent.
How can I do this? But that's my job.
So I was looking forward to seeing
You know, sometimes I'm like,
"Okay, where's the song?"
"What's the song?"
"Give me the song so I can"
I never got a song.
And then I just knew
it was fake.
[dramatic music]
[Maurizio] Science.
Would you like to be a model subject
on studies of behavior?
[Ed] They're behavioral studies
that have been shown that
[Maurizio] On happiness of the generation.
The system generation of happiness?
That if I'd like to be in a study?
[Lee] It's part of being a Burgundian.
[Maurizio]
And how would you like to be a subject
of studies about sexual drive?
Would you like that?
I don't want to be a porn star,
if that's what you're asking.
- [Ed] No.
- [laughs]
[Maurizio] They are not overlapping.
Maybe it's not the same thing.
I was a little trepidatious
about the concept
of what the outside world
would think of what was happening
in this house.
He was creating something
that was completely outside
of anything that I understood before.
Like it was scientific
and genetic specimens.
What seemed really cool before
kind of became weird.
It turned out to be like this sex cult,
and it got a little bit twisted.
[instrumental version
of "Material Girl" playing]
[dramatic music]