Who Do You Think You Are? (2010) s03e02 Episode Script
Marisa Tomei
Male narrator: On the third season of Who Do You Think You Are? 12 of the country's most beloved celebrities embark on monumental explorations into their family histories.
Oh, my gosh.
This is extraordinary-- it's the first time I've heard my great-grandparents' names.
Wow, this is amazing.
Narrator: They will travel the globe [Laughs.]
Narrator: Questioning everything they thought they knew about their ancestry.
Wow.
I wanna know why that little boy was on this ship.
I don't think I'd ever be able to rest until I know why.
It's amazing to think that my dad came from a town this remote, and ended up in America.
Narrator: Secrets will be revealed.
A bad person came in and really did great harm to the family.
Like, I've never seen anything like this.
It's chilling to see that my great-great-grandfather could only write a "x" for his name.
It's just disturbing.
Oh, my--wow.
Narrator: And lives will change forever.
What we found was a gentleman who's your cousin.
What? Narrator: Because to know who you are This is pretty cool that I'm standing right here where my seven times great- grandmother and grandfather are buried.
This is really cool.
And my daughter will now know that her great-great-great- grandmother paved the way for everything.
Narrator: You have to know where your story began.
So now I'm looking forward to walk in the same footsteps [Laughs.]
If you've written a novel with all these truths in it they'd say, "aah, it's a bit over the top.
" It actually happened.
Eric! Oh, man! Man, it's good to see you.
Who I thought I was when we started this odyssey, is different than who I know I am today.
It's been incredible.
Narrator: Tonight, Marisa Tomei is on a mission to explore a tragic family story.
I'm curious about this, um, grandfather of mine who was murdered.
Narrator: Her journey takes her to Italy, where she investigates a 100-year-old murder mystery.
Is it established that there was disloyalty? Narrator: And before her search is over, Marisa finds an unexpected link-- oh, my gosh.
To her great-grandmother.
Beautiful.
[Inspiring music.]
Aah-aah-aah-aah Who Do You Think You Are - S03E02 Marisa Tomei Original air date February 10, 2012 aah-aah-aah-aah aah-aah-aah-aah Narrator: With an illustrious career in film, television, and theater, actress Marisa Tomei first shot to fame in the movie My Cousin Vinny, a performance for which she was awarded an Oscar.
It would be the first of many award nominations to come, including two more Oscar nominations for In The Bedroom and The Wrestler.
Marisa grew up in Brooklyn, but now lives in Los Angeles.
Her strong family ties often bring her back to New York where her parents still live.
Being from Brooklyn is part of my identity, and--and so is being Italian.
The traditions in how we Mark the holidays or the seasons or family occasions, that's a really big part of my family life.
I love hearing family stories, I love poring over old photos.
And over the years my dad has done a lot of research and built a very big family tree for the Tomei side.
But we know far less about my mom's side.
One of the only things I do know about my mom's family is a legend I heard growing up.
My mom's grandfather Leopoldo Bianchi was murdered.
The story is that he was shot in a bar because he was either having an affair with someone, and the husband had a pistol, [chuckling.]
Or he owed him money, or both.
There's something that's been a little bit shrouded there.
I'm curious about the story of my great-grandfather's murder, and I'd like to know anything that has to do with my mom's side because that's my-- my heart of hearts, coming from my mom.
So I'm on the way to my parents' house to talk to my mom and my dad and my brother before I begin the search into my mom's family.
- Hiya, honey.
- Daddy.
How are you? How are you doing? - I love you.
- Mm, I love you.
[Laughs.]
Look who's here.
- Hi, honey.
- Hi.
Mm, good to see you.
So you gonna help me with my journey? - I hope so.
- Our journey.
I'll tell you whatever I know.
- Don't hold back.
- No, not holding back.
[Laughs.]
This is the Bianchi family, so, Tito, Guido, Antonino, Bruno, Leopoldo.
This is your father's father's brothers.
- Correct.
- And the two sisters.
And the two sisters.
And who was-- do you know their father? That was Dionisio, I believe.
- Dionisio, isn't that a riot? - Dionysus.
That's a good name, I like that name.
- Dionisio? - Yeah.
We were gonna name you Dionisio.
I would have taken it.
[Laughter.]
It would have lead to great things.
[Laughter.]
Well, but you know, I'm curious about this, uh, grandfather of mine, Leopoldo.
Otherwise known as Francesco Bianchi, who was murdered in 1910.
That really has become the mystery to me.
The family lore doesn't really put a good light on him.
It sounds like he was-- - well, the--right.
- Either cheating or something.
- He was up to something.
- That's exactly the story.
What was the reason? Was it because of his philandering? I'm wondering, uh, besides my grandmother of course having it so difficult but how was it for my father? Your dad.
My father was only two years old when that happened.
Uh, and his brother was one year old.
So my grandmother was left with two babies at that time.
Must have been just so awful--so awful.
Um, I put together my family tree, uh, from ancestry.
com.
- And this is the Bianchi side.
- Uh-huh.
And there is Francesco l.
For Leopoldo.
- Mm-hm.
- Bianchi.
And his wife, Adelaide Canovaro.
When did the Bianchis go to Elba? Yeah, when did the Bianchis go to Elba? The Bianchis didn't go to Elba.
It was my grandmother, Adelaide, whom I'm named for.
- She was from there, Canovaro.
- Oh.
And then I guess when she married Leopoldo, he lived-- - He went there.
- He went there.
- That seems unusual.
- But it's very close.
You know, to-- it's part of Tuscany.
So--but the rest of the Bianchis were still in Cecina.
Oh, right.
So my great-grandmother is Adelaide Canovaro, whom my mother was named after, and Adelaide Canovaro comes from Elba.
Her husband Leopoldo Bianchi was from Cecina.
And I want to know more about my great-grandfather Leopoldo's mysterious murder, and I'm also really interested in exploring my great-grandmother's family, the Canovaros.
Okay, well, so you got your work cut out for you.
I'm gonna try to find this out for you.
Thank you.
I'm surprised that my mom is so curious about this murder because she never really talked about it that much.
I wonder what it really does mean to her.
I really can't wait to talk to my brother about it.
So that was pretty interesting, hearing mom talk about-- - yeah.
- Her father's family that way.
Yeah.
Mom doesn't even know really where this killing took place.
Yeah.
- It really happened.
- It happened.
It really happened to a real person.
- Yeah.
- And we don't know why.
And we don't know really how that affected grandpa Armando and we don't know how that really went on to shape him, that went on to shape her.
That's why I'm most--what I'm mostly curious about, and excited to bring it home for mom.
Yeah, yeah.
I mean, it could maybe not be about Love.
I suspect that you're gonna find out that there is something else.
I'll be back to tell the tales.
- Well, yeah, good luck.
- [Laughs.]
Mwah.
I love you.
I'm so curious to hear how it's gonna go.
[Laughs.]
I'm off to Italy to investigate my great-grandfather Leopoldo Bianchi's mysterious murder in 1910.
My first stop is in Cecina in Tuscany, where Leopoldo lived.
While I'm here in Italy, I'm also going to search for information about Leopoldo's wife, my great-grandmother, Adelaide Canovaro.
I'm meeting with an Italian guide, Fabio Di Segni, and we're starting my search in the archives at the Cecina cemetery.
- Ciao.
- Fabio.
- Fabio, Marisa.
- [Speaking Italian.]
You can help me.
This is a photograph of my great-grandfather.
- Yes.
- My bisnonno.
- Bisnonno, yes.
- Bisnonno.
- Very good.
- His name is Leopoldo.
Well, Francesco Leopoldo Bianchi.
Francesco Leopoldo Bianchi, yes.
- Yeah.
- He was from Cecina.
- From Cecina.
- Yes, okay.
Yeah.
Thank you, thank you.
Okay.
What do you think? Any resemblance, or--? Yes.
I can see a resemblance.
- Bongiorno.
- Bongiorno.
Marisa.
[All speaking Italian.]
So thank you for helping me.
This is a photo of my great-grandfather, Francesco Leopoldo Bianchi.
Si.
And I'm wondering if you have any documents about when he died.
Do you know exactly the year? There is not? Oh, okay.
1911? Yes, he's gonna look for 1911.
[Speaking Italian.]
Si.
So what is-- what is all this? Okay.
The document says that your great-grandfather was transported--his body was transported to Cecina.
- Transported to Cecina? - Transported to Cecina.
So he didn't die here, he died somewhere else.
No, he died somewhere else.
I translate this document in English for you.
"March 10, 1911, transport of body.
"Considering the request of Mr.
Dionisio Bianchi "to be authorized to transport to Cecina "the remains of Francesco Leopoldo Bianchi, who died for reasons because of illness.
" That's certainly different than what I've been told.
Narrator: Marisa begins to unravel the mystery behind her great-grandfather's death.
What did he do, that rascal? Narrator: Marisa Tomei is in Cecina, Italy, searching for the truth behind her great-grandfather Leopoldo Bianchi's death.
She's just discovered that, contrary to the family story he was murdered over an affair, Leopoldo seems to have died of a mysterious illness.
Died from an illness.
Anything else in this? Like, what date did he die? He died in 7th of march, 1911.
[Both speaking Italian.]
So, it's Right now it's like a treasure hunt.
I think there's a lot more to his death.
What kind of illness could it have been? Was it an illness? Maybe not.
The family lore is that he was murdered for womanizing.
I think there are many more details to be had about Leopoldo's death.
And I'm still not even sure where he died or how the story of his death seems to be lost in translation.
I see his wife, my great-grandmother, Adelaide Canovaro is buried with him.
Now, I know she was from Elba, and according to my mom, both Adelaide and Leopoldo lived there at some point.
I guess it's possible that Leopoldo died on Elba.
And since I'm also hoping to find some records on Adelaide's family, I'm heading to Elba next.
[Dramatic music.]
Narrator: Elba is a small island with a big history.
Just 12 miles off the coast of Tuscany, Elba is most famously known as French emperor Napoleon's place of exile after European allies halted his continental conquest and forced him to abdicate in 1814.
Napoleon was allowed to rule the island, and during his yearlong banishment, he introduced economic and social reforms that greatly benefitted the 12,000 citizens of Elba.
Since Fabio said the catholic church was such a big part of people's lives at the turn of the century, we're going ahead to the local parish where I'm hoping the priest will find some records on the Canovaro family.
The first stone is 1,200.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Really old.
Oh, padre, grazie.
This are all the records I was able to find about the Canovaro's family These are all the Canovaro family? - Yes.
- All of them? All of them.
This is a baptistery registry.
- Yeah.
- So you can find-- that goes back-- yeah, it goes back, uh, to 1860.
Oh, this is the 1800s we're starting with.
Do you see the name Canovaro? - Canovaro.
- Am I missing Canovaro? I see it.
Here's the word-- name Canovaro.
Adelaide! Does this say the daughter, figlia? Yes figlia.
Daughter of Arturo.
Of Arturo.
I think the birth date is this one here.
First of may, 1887.
Okay, we're in 1855 now.
So Arturo, my great-great-grandfather.
- You bis-- - bis-bis.
You say bis-bis? You say bis-bis like we do.
- Great-great, bis-bis? - Yes.
Giuseppe Luigi Canovaro.
The collection of records is amazing.
They follow the Canovaro line all the way back and prove my great-grandmother Adelaide Canovaro's family goes back in this town ten generations, back to Alessandro Canovaro, who was born here in 1641.
- Eight times great-grandfather.
- Eight times great-grandfather.
So about ten generations.
And this is the last book that we can find of Canovaro.
Knowing that the Canovaros go back to my eight times great-grandfather is--it's interesting, but where did my great-grandfather and my great-grandmother meet? Were they here? Or did she somehow break that whole lineage, those eight times back lineage? And did she--was she the one to leave this island to go onto the mainland? And did she meet him there? Or did he whisk her away, or Who knows? I know that Leopoldo's body was transported from somewhere, but I don't know where that somewhere is.
So I'm hoping to find that out here.
And the mystery still remains between the story of this murder and then this supposed illness that still all seems suspect.
So I'm just looking for any other kind of records that could connect those dots.
Fabio suggests we check the municipal records at the historical archives.
So we're meeting with historian Dr.
Gloria Peria.
I'm here because my family is from Elba.
Uh, the Canovaro family.
I know a lot about them, I was at the church.
But I don't know anything about the Bianchi family.
Yes, i have found some records that should be of interest.
And I'll show you.
She found some documents that maybe can be interesting.
Okay.
So this is the marriage certificate of Leopoldo Bianchi and Maria Canovaro Adelaide.
The 25th of June, 1904.
- Okay, we're getting somewhere.
- Yeah.
[Laughs.]
There is also this document.
This one's so beautiful.
This is like a family certificate.
Mm-hm.
What does this mean? "Condition" His profession.
- Commerciante means-- - a commercial merchant? Like a merchant.
Like a merchant of what? I have found that Bianchi's family was a wealthy family who was in the business of also lime commerce.
Ad probably knew Gloria is saying that the Canovaro family owns a kiln business here on the island.
And they think Bianchi came over the island, and there was a link between the business and the love.
Maybe they met through this business.
Through the heart of it.
He move from Elba the third of August, 1910.
Six years later, after they got married.
Six years later he moved.
- He moved to Cecina.
- He moved to Cecina, yes.
So he maybe meets her father, whoever that is.
There's a family business.
They meet, they-- they fall in love.
And six years later, they go back.
And then seven months after they move to the mainland, Leopoldo dies.
And last I show you this.
Ilva was the local newspaper in 1911.
Whoa, there's the front page.
So Leo--I see his name.
Oh, my God, I'm scared to read it.
[Laughs.]
What did he do, that rascal? Narrator: Marisa uncovers details of her great-grandfather's last days that contradict everything she's been told.
Is it established that there was disloyalty, or there wasn't? Narrator: Marisa Tomei is in Elba, investigating the circumstances surrounding her great-grandfather Leopoldo Bianchi's death.
She's just received a newspaper with his name in the headline.
"Leopoldo Bianchi, killed in Castiglioncello.
" "From the mainland newspapers we are informed that in Castiglioncello, a Terzilio--" - right.
- What a name.
Terzilio Lazzereschi.
"For the sake of interest "treacherously shot Leopoldo Bianchi, killing him on the spot.
" "Bianchi was very well known on the island of Elba.
Lazzereschi was immediately arrested.
" Reading the article confirmed what we thought-- that he had been murdered.
I never really bought that there was an illness, even when we saw it documented.
That just didn't add up.
We know for sure that it was a treacherous murder.
And it looks like we'll have to go to Castiglioncello where the murder took place.
So Fabio is staying here in Elba to look for more information about Adelaide and the Canovaro family, while I head to Castiglioncello where Leopoldo was murdered.
I'm trying to understand the circumstances that caused Lazzereschi to shoot my great-grandpa, so Gloria suggested that I meet with professor of history Steven Hughes, who's asked me to join him at a local cafe.
I need to know what happened here in Castiglioncello.
I don't know why Leopoldo, my great-grandfather was here at all.
And I don't know-- I know he was killed here.
But I don't know where, I don't know why.
Okay, he was murdered here.
And, uh, what we have is from Il Telegrafo.
This is a newspaper from Livorno.
And the murder is mentioned down here.
"A homicide in Castiglioncello.
" Right.
And this is an actual translation.
Oh, thank you.
"Yesterday at 6:00 P.
M.
, this pleasant village "was dismayed by an event that greatly saddened "the inhabitants.
"Terzilio Lazzereschi, recently settled "in Castiglioncello-- he is a well-off man who works as a kiln operator.
" That fits with what we've been finding out.
"For reasons that are still unknown--" - Ugh! - [Laughs.]
"He met a Francesco Bianchi from Cecina, "he himself a kiln operator.
After a few words just outside Pilade Morelli's cafe" Local tradition maintains that this was the cafe Morelli.
Right outside this-- so this cafe has been here that long? Yeah.
"Terzilio, who the night before "had been insulted and beaten fired a shot, killing instantly Bianchi.
" This is actually the indictment, uh, which has all the details of the murder, so-- oh, this comes from-- oh, the court records.
This comes from the court records, and you have to understand, even though it says it's the Lucca court of appeals, this is the case created by the government before his trial, and then their suggestion that he be tried.
"Terzilio Lazzereschi, on march 7th, 1911, "in Castiglioncello fired at Francesco Leopoldo Bianchi "a gun from which the bullet struck the occipital region "and exited the opposite side, and was the direct and only cause of his immediate death.
" Yeah, so he was shot in the back of the head.
- That's how I was picturing it.
- Uh-huh, good.
Okay.
"The accused, Terzilio Lazzereschi, "in January of this year acquired from Dionisio Bianchi, "the father of the killed, Francesco Leopoldo Bianchi, "the business of a lime kiln in Castiglioncello.
" And he employed Francesco's brother Tito.
- Right.
- Okay, so they were all-- and he said, "let's all do this together, and you can run it and" Right, so he sold it.
- "And you'll oversee it.
" - Right.
"The good harmony between Lazzereschi "and the Bianchi family quickly changed "to mutual animosity.
"When Lazzereschi fired Tito Bianchi from his job on march 5th, over suspicion of disloyalty.
" That's a critical piece of the whole puzzle.
In a business kind of situation, it could mean a lot of different things.
Uh-huh.
He was cooking the books, he was talking to competitors.
On the other hand, it could just be a reason to get rid of him.
Mm-hm.
What's important, though, to understand the motivation of why they beat him up and why they were so upset is this disloyalty is an issue of honor to Italian men at the time.
So for them-- for him to be dismissed for an issue of disloyalty was a major mark on their honor.
On the family honor.
Well, also your whole business is at stake too.
Yeah, and in fact if your honor was impugned, people wouldn't do business with you.
Yeah, exactly.
But we don't know if Terzilio's claims were true or not.
Exactly.
Is it established that there was disloyalty, or there wasn't? Narrator: Marisa learns about the punishment her great-grandfather's killer faced.
Oh, my--wow.
Narrator: Marisa Tomei is at the site where her great-grandfather was murdered.
She's just uncovered that Leopoldo Bianchi was shot in the back of the head by Terzilio Lazzereschi over a business deal gone wrong.
Tito was fired for disloyalty.
Right.
But he had Leopoldo broker the deal.
Exactly, Leopoldo set it up.
He did the mediation, he did the negotiations.
And part of the negotiations were that Tito, his brother-- - would keep working there.
- Would keep working there.
Mm-hm.
I assume in some kind of, you know, managerial position.
And so when Lazzereschi broke that deal, for whatever reason, and we don't know.
I mean, this charge of disloyalty is all that's in-- - that's what I'm saying.
- We don't know what that is.
That's all we have.
And their issues of business and honor were very important to them.
And so they were very upset and they came after him.
"On the 6th, Francesco Bianchi was moved "to strike Lazzereschi's face with his fists, causing wounds that healed in seven days.
" Right.
I don't know if you know this, but Italians are very concentrated on the face, right? There are some very interesting laws about if you mark somebody permanently versus other damage to the body.
And so any kind of blow to the face was-- wow, I didn't know.
- An extremely serious offense.
- Mm-hm.
"On that evening, march 7th, Lazzereschi, "seeing that Francesco Bianchi continued to maintain "a threatening attitude towards him, "armed himself with a revolver, and Leopoldo grabbed him, breaking two buttons off his waistcoat.
" The indictment is taking that into consideration.
You don't touch people in this society like that.
Uh-huh.
I mean, that's an insult.
"Having lost his self-control because of fear.
" Wow.
"And because he thought that Bianchi was armed "with a revolver, "anticipated by firing his own revolver at Bianchi, "who fell dying.
"As Terzilio did this, Terzilio said, e una.
Or, "and one.
"" He was gonna go after Tito as the other brother, because both brothers had threatened him and both brothers had insulted him.
There's Tito and there is Terzilio.
And in the middle is Leopoldo, who's my great-grandpa.
And he was defending his brother and his family and all the Bianchi's, even his father, Dionisio Bianchi, who owned the whole business.
It's interesting that this is 100 years later, and this story has taken this long to kind of pull apart.
Because my brother had a dream when we were on a family vacation here in Castiglioncello.
He woke up in the middle of the night, and my little cousin, he talks in his sleep.
My brother and my little cousin reported back that he was saying "murder! Murder in the family!" And we never knew why he was-- he had this dream.
And it's so strange that that--there was a murder in the family right here.
I'm heading to Lucca, about an hour north of Castiglioncello, where Lazzereschi was indicted.
I want to find out the details of the trial.
I want to know what really went on.
So I'm meeting with an Italian legal expert and professor of history, Francesco Tamburini.
I'm hoping that you can, uh, shed some light on anything having to do with Leopoldo Bianchi or Terzilio Lazzereschi or anything about that case.
"Lazzereschi, Terzilio.
"30 years of age, from Ponsacco.
"Accused of voluntary homicide of Bianchi, Francesco Leopoldo "was "Acquitted For a legitimate defense.
" So they found that he had-- was defending himself.
- Yeah.
- Mm-hm.
Self-defense.
Coming from behind.
[Laughs.]
Uh-huh.
In town.
[Laughs.]
Oh, my God.
Wow.
Wow.
"September 8th, 1912.
" So this is a year later.
Yeah.
"Court of appeals.
"Terzilio Lazzereschi was sentenced by "the court of assizes of the circuit on April 4, 1912.
"For carrying a prohibited weapon "with a punishment of arrest for 38 days "and a fine of 87 lire and a fifth of the court costs.
" So are they saying that he's-- he only did-- he hardly did anything wrong.
- He just was carrying-- - yeah.
This gun that was prohibited.
Narrator: Marisa learns the fate of her family from a relative she never knew she had.
Oh, my gosh.
Narrator: Marisa Tomei is in Italy, trying to find out if justice was served in the murder of her great-grandfather, Leopoldo Bianchi.
She's just learned the murderer, Terzilio Lazzereschi was not a jealous husband, but a cold-blooded businessman who was acquitted for the crime.
"He accepts that he went to a penal trial "for voluntary homicide before the court in Pisa "and that he was acquitted "following a favorable verdict that when he was arrested there were 500 lire found in his billfold.
" - This is him speaking.
- Yeah.
Lazzereschi's saying He's saying to the court, "well, when I was arrested there were 500 lire found "in my billfold, and that sum was deposited "with the postal administration of Pisa, "and from that deposit you withdrew 388 lire "for the court costs, and there are still available 119 lire.
" And he wants his money back.
[Laughs.]
Three days before the final verdict.
He said, "and by the way, while we're discussing this--" "I want that money back, yeah.
" How much is that money? Uh-huh.
So he wanted about a third of that back.
It's a terrible thing to kill somebody.
I mean, what is it that drives people to that level of-- to murder? You know, is it-- I mean, the court-- what Terzilio's saying-- it was fear for his-- of his own life.
But if he had that money in his pocket, why did he even have that money in his pocket that night? Maybe he was going to try to pay off Leopoldo Bianchi because he broke-- Terzilio broke the contract.
It's just--it's-- we just don't know.
Uh-huh.
Uh-huh.
Mm-hm.
You're being accused of murder, and you're not concerned with your fate, defending your own honor.
The remorse, whether you feel justified or not about killing someone.
You're still making a point, "hey, and I want that money.
" It's almost a sociopathic reaction.
It's a very, very, very strange reaction.
Really a bad person came in and Really did great harm to the family.
When I was a little girl, I pictured the scene of the crime, and I pictured the bar.
And it started to form some romantic notions in my mind.
Now I frame it in a really different way, and I feel that he needed someone to advocate for him.
And he never got that.
Before I head back to the States to share this story with my mom, I'm going to meet with Fabio, who says he has some fascinating news to share with me.
Lazzereschi hires really super high-powered lawyers who-- he winds up being acquitted.
What? Acquitted? Yeah, he winds up being acquitted-- - unbelievable.
- And serving about 38 days.
- That's - Yeah.
That's horrible.
And then funny enough, the name Lazzereschi-- yeah.
Could come from the word lazzarone.
Lazzarone means "a bad man.
" - Lazzarone.
- Lazzarone.
You would say You would say Un lazzarone? - Tu sei un lazzarone.
- Tu sei un lazzarone.
why didn't anyone tell me this from the beginning? Really suits his name, I guess, yes.
In my research, I found an old relative of yours.
Her name is Rosetta Vanucci.
She's 83 years old.
She couldn't come today because she doesn't feel well, and I've got a photo there.
Rosetta.
Beautiful.
She was really sweet and lovely, and she wrote a letter for you and-- - really? - Yes.
- Would you like to read? - Yeah.
Yes.
So she's part of the Canovaro connection? She knew your great-grandmother, Adelaide.
And she talked really-- she remember her.
- She remembers Adelaide? - Yes, she does.
- Oh, my gosh! - She wrote in Italian, yes.
I wrote in English translation for you.
Thank you.
"I received word you are in Italy "looking into your family history.
"I wanted to get in touch to tell you what I know "of your ancestors.
"I am Rosetta Vanucci, the daughter of Bruna Bianchi, "who was your great-grandfather Leopoldo Bianchi's sister, "making me your grandfather Armando Bianchi's cousin "and your first cousin twice removed.
"I was very close to your great-grandmother Adelaide.
"She was a wonderful woman and was very sad when her husband died.
" Mm.
"After that man shot Leopoldo, Adelaide met a nice man in Genoa.
" Yes.
"Who was a marine, and married him.
"He was a good man.
She was happy.
"She loved to dance and laugh "and loved her boys very much.
"Your grandfather Armando worked on boats "like his step-father.
"So she asked Leopoldo's brother Guido "in New York city to give Armando work "and safe passage into the united States "next time he docked there.
"When Armando arrived, Guido met him and covered him with a coat, sneaking him away.
" I had never heard that.
She gave me a photo of Adelaide.
- She had this? - Yes.
I can see my mom a little bit.
Thank you.
The story really isn't a story of a broken family.
She went on to marry a great, great guy, and, uh, my grandpa had a really great life.
It's almost like the spirit of the characters were stronger than the actual events, because that's what still lives on.
And there's a peace to that.
Narrator: Marisa reunites with her mother, and shares the truth of their family history.
- This is a real gift.
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
- I love you.
Narrator: Marisa Tomei is back in New York city to share the surprising details of her great-grandfather's murder with her mother for the first time.
I'll be happy to tell my mother Leopoldo really wasn't up to anything.
He wasn't up to any trickery at all.
He defended his brother, he defended the family honor.
So that's a different spin on what's been told in the family.
Terzilio Lazzereschi pulled out a gun.
- Yeah.
- Oh, my God.
- And he shot him from behind.
- Oh, my God.
From behind, point blank.
Wow.
- Oh, how horrendous.
- I know! - Violent.
- It's terrible.
Was there a trial? He was a wealthy guy.
And he hired, like, the dream team lawyers of the time.
And they got him off.
[Gasps.]
- Oh, God, how infuriating.
- Yeah! Oh, my God.
They got him off.
It's upsetting, isn't it? - Oh, God.
- I see, yeah.
- Oh, my poor grandmother.
- Yeah, yeah.
- Oh, my goodness.
- Yeah.
What I know now is, regardless of what happened, he certainly didn't bring it upon himself.
My mother was carrying an idea that he had put his family at risk and cost his family so much pain.
I had this impression that he was just a philanderer.
I know.
I guess, too, possibly I was thinking that it was his own fault, that he had gotten into this mess and then left my poor father.
- Oh, yeah.
- You know.
That he shouldn't have taken the risks that he did and then-- and left his wife - Uh-huh.
- Uh, widowed Yeah.
- And his children orphaned.
- Yeah.
Because of his own nature and character.
Yeah.
And so maybe that wasn't the case.
- Yeah.
- And that's-- that's nicer to hear.
To see the relief just wash over her.
I wasn't expecting that.
I don't think she was expecting that.
It's the things we carry with us from our family's legacy, our family's history, even the secrets that we don't know that we're carrying.
I didn't expect that I would be feeling, uh I don't know, this sense of relief.
Wow.
It's like a resolution, yeah.
It might take a little while.
I think all of this absorbs into us and influences our behavior in some mystical way.
- Yeah.
- Some spiritual way affects the generations even to come.
Yeah.
So we know now a lot more about Leopoldo's character and now I have much more of a connection to him.
I can feel his presence, he's much more-- he's alive in my heart and in my mind's eye and in my family again.
Things certainly would have been different.
Yeah.
If, uh, if he hadn't been killed.
'Cause my father would never have come here.
- And, uh, we wouldn't exist.
- Yeah, yeah.
- This is a real gift.
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
- [Squeals.]
I love you.
Oh, my gosh.
This is extraordinary-- it's the first time I've heard my great-grandparents' names.
Wow, this is amazing.
Narrator: They will travel the globe [Laughs.]
Narrator: Questioning everything they thought they knew about their ancestry.
Wow.
I wanna know why that little boy was on this ship.
I don't think I'd ever be able to rest until I know why.
It's amazing to think that my dad came from a town this remote, and ended up in America.
Narrator: Secrets will be revealed.
A bad person came in and really did great harm to the family.
Like, I've never seen anything like this.
It's chilling to see that my great-great-grandfather could only write a "x" for his name.
It's just disturbing.
Oh, my--wow.
Narrator: And lives will change forever.
What we found was a gentleman who's your cousin.
What? Narrator: Because to know who you are This is pretty cool that I'm standing right here where my seven times great- grandmother and grandfather are buried.
This is really cool.
And my daughter will now know that her great-great-great- grandmother paved the way for everything.
Narrator: You have to know where your story began.
So now I'm looking forward to walk in the same footsteps [Laughs.]
If you've written a novel with all these truths in it they'd say, "aah, it's a bit over the top.
" It actually happened.
Eric! Oh, man! Man, it's good to see you.
Who I thought I was when we started this odyssey, is different than who I know I am today.
It's been incredible.
Narrator: Tonight, Marisa Tomei is on a mission to explore a tragic family story.
I'm curious about this, um, grandfather of mine who was murdered.
Narrator: Her journey takes her to Italy, where she investigates a 100-year-old murder mystery.
Is it established that there was disloyalty? Narrator: And before her search is over, Marisa finds an unexpected link-- oh, my gosh.
To her great-grandmother.
Beautiful.
[Inspiring music.]
Aah-aah-aah-aah Who Do You Think You Are - S03E02 Marisa Tomei Original air date February 10, 2012 aah-aah-aah-aah aah-aah-aah-aah Narrator: With an illustrious career in film, television, and theater, actress Marisa Tomei first shot to fame in the movie My Cousin Vinny, a performance for which she was awarded an Oscar.
It would be the first of many award nominations to come, including two more Oscar nominations for In The Bedroom and The Wrestler.
Marisa grew up in Brooklyn, but now lives in Los Angeles.
Her strong family ties often bring her back to New York where her parents still live.
Being from Brooklyn is part of my identity, and--and so is being Italian.
The traditions in how we Mark the holidays or the seasons or family occasions, that's a really big part of my family life.
I love hearing family stories, I love poring over old photos.
And over the years my dad has done a lot of research and built a very big family tree for the Tomei side.
But we know far less about my mom's side.
One of the only things I do know about my mom's family is a legend I heard growing up.
My mom's grandfather Leopoldo Bianchi was murdered.
The story is that he was shot in a bar because he was either having an affair with someone, and the husband had a pistol, [chuckling.]
Or he owed him money, or both.
There's something that's been a little bit shrouded there.
I'm curious about the story of my great-grandfather's murder, and I'd like to know anything that has to do with my mom's side because that's my-- my heart of hearts, coming from my mom.
So I'm on the way to my parents' house to talk to my mom and my dad and my brother before I begin the search into my mom's family.
- Hiya, honey.
- Daddy.
How are you? How are you doing? - I love you.
- Mm, I love you.
[Laughs.]
Look who's here.
- Hi, honey.
- Hi.
Mm, good to see you.
So you gonna help me with my journey? - I hope so.
- Our journey.
I'll tell you whatever I know.
- Don't hold back.
- No, not holding back.
[Laughs.]
This is the Bianchi family, so, Tito, Guido, Antonino, Bruno, Leopoldo.
This is your father's father's brothers.
- Correct.
- And the two sisters.
And the two sisters.
And who was-- do you know their father? That was Dionisio, I believe.
- Dionisio, isn't that a riot? - Dionysus.
That's a good name, I like that name.
- Dionisio? - Yeah.
We were gonna name you Dionisio.
I would have taken it.
[Laughter.]
It would have lead to great things.
[Laughter.]
Well, but you know, I'm curious about this, uh, grandfather of mine, Leopoldo.
Otherwise known as Francesco Bianchi, who was murdered in 1910.
That really has become the mystery to me.
The family lore doesn't really put a good light on him.
It sounds like he was-- - well, the--right.
- Either cheating or something.
- He was up to something.
- That's exactly the story.
What was the reason? Was it because of his philandering? I'm wondering, uh, besides my grandmother of course having it so difficult but how was it for my father? Your dad.
My father was only two years old when that happened.
Uh, and his brother was one year old.
So my grandmother was left with two babies at that time.
Must have been just so awful--so awful.
Um, I put together my family tree, uh, from ancestry.
com.
- And this is the Bianchi side.
- Uh-huh.
And there is Francesco l.
For Leopoldo.
- Mm-hm.
- Bianchi.
And his wife, Adelaide Canovaro.
When did the Bianchis go to Elba? Yeah, when did the Bianchis go to Elba? The Bianchis didn't go to Elba.
It was my grandmother, Adelaide, whom I'm named for.
- She was from there, Canovaro.
- Oh.
And then I guess when she married Leopoldo, he lived-- - He went there.
- He went there.
- That seems unusual.
- But it's very close.
You know, to-- it's part of Tuscany.
So--but the rest of the Bianchis were still in Cecina.
Oh, right.
So my great-grandmother is Adelaide Canovaro, whom my mother was named after, and Adelaide Canovaro comes from Elba.
Her husband Leopoldo Bianchi was from Cecina.
And I want to know more about my great-grandfather Leopoldo's mysterious murder, and I'm also really interested in exploring my great-grandmother's family, the Canovaros.
Okay, well, so you got your work cut out for you.
I'm gonna try to find this out for you.
Thank you.
I'm surprised that my mom is so curious about this murder because she never really talked about it that much.
I wonder what it really does mean to her.
I really can't wait to talk to my brother about it.
So that was pretty interesting, hearing mom talk about-- - yeah.
- Her father's family that way.
Yeah.
Mom doesn't even know really where this killing took place.
Yeah.
- It really happened.
- It happened.
It really happened to a real person.
- Yeah.
- And we don't know why.
And we don't know really how that affected grandpa Armando and we don't know how that really went on to shape him, that went on to shape her.
That's why I'm most--what I'm mostly curious about, and excited to bring it home for mom.
Yeah, yeah.
I mean, it could maybe not be about Love.
I suspect that you're gonna find out that there is something else.
I'll be back to tell the tales.
- Well, yeah, good luck.
- [Laughs.]
Mwah.
I love you.
I'm so curious to hear how it's gonna go.
[Laughs.]
I'm off to Italy to investigate my great-grandfather Leopoldo Bianchi's mysterious murder in 1910.
My first stop is in Cecina in Tuscany, where Leopoldo lived.
While I'm here in Italy, I'm also going to search for information about Leopoldo's wife, my great-grandmother, Adelaide Canovaro.
I'm meeting with an Italian guide, Fabio Di Segni, and we're starting my search in the archives at the Cecina cemetery.
- Ciao.
- Fabio.
- Fabio, Marisa.
- [Speaking Italian.]
You can help me.
This is a photograph of my great-grandfather.
- Yes.
- My bisnonno.
- Bisnonno, yes.
- Bisnonno.
- Very good.
- His name is Leopoldo.
Well, Francesco Leopoldo Bianchi.
Francesco Leopoldo Bianchi, yes.
- Yeah.
- He was from Cecina.
- From Cecina.
- Yes, okay.
Yeah.
Thank you, thank you.
Okay.
What do you think? Any resemblance, or--? Yes.
I can see a resemblance.
- Bongiorno.
- Bongiorno.
Marisa.
[All speaking Italian.]
So thank you for helping me.
This is a photo of my great-grandfather, Francesco Leopoldo Bianchi.
Si.
And I'm wondering if you have any documents about when he died.
Do you know exactly the year? There is not? Oh, okay.
1911? Yes, he's gonna look for 1911.
[Speaking Italian.]
Si.
So what is-- what is all this? Okay.
The document says that your great-grandfather was transported--his body was transported to Cecina.
- Transported to Cecina? - Transported to Cecina.
So he didn't die here, he died somewhere else.
No, he died somewhere else.
I translate this document in English for you.
"March 10, 1911, transport of body.
"Considering the request of Mr.
Dionisio Bianchi "to be authorized to transport to Cecina "the remains of Francesco Leopoldo Bianchi, who died for reasons because of illness.
" That's certainly different than what I've been told.
Narrator: Marisa begins to unravel the mystery behind her great-grandfather's death.
What did he do, that rascal? Narrator: Marisa Tomei is in Cecina, Italy, searching for the truth behind her great-grandfather Leopoldo Bianchi's death.
She's just discovered that, contrary to the family story he was murdered over an affair, Leopoldo seems to have died of a mysterious illness.
Died from an illness.
Anything else in this? Like, what date did he die? He died in 7th of march, 1911.
[Both speaking Italian.]
So, it's Right now it's like a treasure hunt.
I think there's a lot more to his death.
What kind of illness could it have been? Was it an illness? Maybe not.
The family lore is that he was murdered for womanizing.
I think there are many more details to be had about Leopoldo's death.
And I'm still not even sure where he died or how the story of his death seems to be lost in translation.
I see his wife, my great-grandmother, Adelaide Canovaro is buried with him.
Now, I know she was from Elba, and according to my mom, both Adelaide and Leopoldo lived there at some point.
I guess it's possible that Leopoldo died on Elba.
And since I'm also hoping to find some records on Adelaide's family, I'm heading to Elba next.
[Dramatic music.]
Narrator: Elba is a small island with a big history.
Just 12 miles off the coast of Tuscany, Elba is most famously known as French emperor Napoleon's place of exile after European allies halted his continental conquest and forced him to abdicate in 1814.
Napoleon was allowed to rule the island, and during his yearlong banishment, he introduced economic and social reforms that greatly benefitted the 12,000 citizens of Elba.
Since Fabio said the catholic church was such a big part of people's lives at the turn of the century, we're going ahead to the local parish where I'm hoping the priest will find some records on the Canovaro family.
The first stone is 1,200.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Really old.
Oh, padre, grazie.
This are all the records I was able to find about the Canovaro's family These are all the Canovaro family? - Yes.
- All of them? All of them.
This is a baptistery registry.
- Yeah.
- So you can find-- that goes back-- yeah, it goes back, uh, to 1860.
Oh, this is the 1800s we're starting with.
Do you see the name Canovaro? - Canovaro.
- Am I missing Canovaro? I see it.
Here's the word-- name Canovaro.
Adelaide! Does this say the daughter, figlia? Yes figlia.
Daughter of Arturo.
Of Arturo.
I think the birth date is this one here.
First of may, 1887.
Okay, we're in 1855 now.
So Arturo, my great-great-grandfather.
- You bis-- - bis-bis.
You say bis-bis? You say bis-bis like we do.
- Great-great, bis-bis? - Yes.
Giuseppe Luigi Canovaro.
The collection of records is amazing.
They follow the Canovaro line all the way back and prove my great-grandmother Adelaide Canovaro's family goes back in this town ten generations, back to Alessandro Canovaro, who was born here in 1641.
- Eight times great-grandfather.
- Eight times great-grandfather.
So about ten generations.
And this is the last book that we can find of Canovaro.
Knowing that the Canovaros go back to my eight times great-grandfather is--it's interesting, but where did my great-grandfather and my great-grandmother meet? Were they here? Or did she somehow break that whole lineage, those eight times back lineage? And did she--was she the one to leave this island to go onto the mainland? And did she meet him there? Or did he whisk her away, or Who knows? I know that Leopoldo's body was transported from somewhere, but I don't know where that somewhere is.
So I'm hoping to find that out here.
And the mystery still remains between the story of this murder and then this supposed illness that still all seems suspect.
So I'm just looking for any other kind of records that could connect those dots.
Fabio suggests we check the municipal records at the historical archives.
So we're meeting with historian Dr.
Gloria Peria.
I'm here because my family is from Elba.
Uh, the Canovaro family.
I know a lot about them, I was at the church.
But I don't know anything about the Bianchi family.
Yes, i have found some records that should be of interest.
And I'll show you.
She found some documents that maybe can be interesting.
Okay.
So this is the marriage certificate of Leopoldo Bianchi and Maria Canovaro Adelaide.
The 25th of June, 1904.
- Okay, we're getting somewhere.
- Yeah.
[Laughs.]
There is also this document.
This one's so beautiful.
This is like a family certificate.
Mm-hm.
What does this mean? "Condition" His profession.
- Commerciante means-- - a commercial merchant? Like a merchant.
Like a merchant of what? I have found that Bianchi's family was a wealthy family who was in the business of also lime commerce.
Ad probably knew Gloria is saying that the Canovaro family owns a kiln business here on the island.
And they think Bianchi came over the island, and there was a link between the business and the love.
Maybe they met through this business.
Through the heart of it.
He move from Elba the third of August, 1910.
Six years later, after they got married.
Six years later he moved.
- He moved to Cecina.
- He moved to Cecina, yes.
So he maybe meets her father, whoever that is.
There's a family business.
They meet, they-- they fall in love.
And six years later, they go back.
And then seven months after they move to the mainland, Leopoldo dies.
And last I show you this.
Ilva was the local newspaper in 1911.
Whoa, there's the front page.
So Leo--I see his name.
Oh, my God, I'm scared to read it.
[Laughs.]
What did he do, that rascal? Narrator: Marisa uncovers details of her great-grandfather's last days that contradict everything she's been told.
Is it established that there was disloyalty, or there wasn't? Narrator: Marisa Tomei is in Elba, investigating the circumstances surrounding her great-grandfather Leopoldo Bianchi's death.
She's just received a newspaper with his name in the headline.
"Leopoldo Bianchi, killed in Castiglioncello.
" "From the mainland newspapers we are informed that in Castiglioncello, a Terzilio--" - right.
- What a name.
Terzilio Lazzereschi.
"For the sake of interest "treacherously shot Leopoldo Bianchi, killing him on the spot.
" "Bianchi was very well known on the island of Elba.
Lazzereschi was immediately arrested.
" Reading the article confirmed what we thought-- that he had been murdered.
I never really bought that there was an illness, even when we saw it documented.
That just didn't add up.
We know for sure that it was a treacherous murder.
And it looks like we'll have to go to Castiglioncello where the murder took place.
So Fabio is staying here in Elba to look for more information about Adelaide and the Canovaro family, while I head to Castiglioncello where Leopoldo was murdered.
I'm trying to understand the circumstances that caused Lazzereschi to shoot my great-grandpa, so Gloria suggested that I meet with professor of history Steven Hughes, who's asked me to join him at a local cafe.
I need to know what happened here in Castiglioncello.
I don't know why Leopoldo, my great-grandfather was here at all.
And I don't know-- I know he was killed here.
But I don't know where, I don't know why.
Okay, he was murdered here.
And, uh, what we have is from Il Telegrafo.
This is a newspaper from Livorno.
And the murder is mentioned down here.
"A homicide in Castiglioncello.
" Right.
And this is an actual translation.
Oh, thank you.
"Yesterday at 6:00 P.
M.
, this pleasant village "was dismayed by an event that greatly saddened "the inhabitants.
"Terzilio Lazzereschi, recently settled "in Castiglioncello-- he is a well-off man who works as a kiln operator.
" That fits with what we've been finding out.
"For reasons that are still unknown--" - Ugh! - [Laughs.]
"He met a Francesco Bianchi from Cecina, "he himself a kiln operator.
After a few words just outside Pilade Morelli's cafe" Local tradition maintains that this was the cafe Morelli.
Right outside this-- so this cafe has been here that long? Yeah.
"Terzilio, who the night before "had been insulted and beaten fired a shot, killing instantly Bianchi.
" This is actually the indictment, uh, which has all the details of the murder, so-- oh, this comes from-- oh, the court records.
This comes from the court records, and you have to understand, even though it says it's the Lucca court of appeals, this is the case created by the government before his trial, and then their suggestion that he be tried.
"Terzilio Lazzereschi, on march 7th, 1911, "in Castiglioncello fired at Francesco Leopoldo Bianchi "a gun from which the bullet struck the occipital region "and exited the opposite side, and was the direct and only cause of his immediate death.
" Yeah, so he was shot in the back of the head.
- That's how I was picturing it.
- Uh-huh, good.
Okay.
"The accused, Terzilio Lazzereschi, "in January of this year acquired from Dionisio Bianchi, "the father of the killed, Francesco Leopoldo Bianchi, "the business of a lime kiln in Castiglioncello.
" And he employed Francesco's brother Tito.
- Right.
- Okay, so they were all-- and he said, "let's all do this together, and you can run it and" Right, so he sold it.
- "And you'll oversee it.
" - Right.
"The good harmony between Lazzereschi "and the Bianchi family quickly changed "to mutual animosity.
"When Lazzereschi fired Tito Bianchi from his job on march 5th, over suspicion of disloyalty.
" That's a critical piece of the whole puzzle.
In a business kind of situation, it could mean a lot of different things.
Uh-huh.
He was cooking the books, he was talking to competitors.
On the other hand, it could just be a reason to get rid of him.
Mm-hm.
What's important, though, to understand the motivation of why they beat him up and why they were so upset is this disloyalty is an issue of honor to Italian men at the time.
So for them-- for him to be dismissed for an issue of disloyalty was a major mark on their honor.
On the family honor.
Well, also your whole business is at stake too.
Yeah, and in fact if your honor was impugned, people wouldn't do business with you.
Yeah, exactly.
But we don't know if Terzilio's claims were true or not.
Exactly.
Is it established that there was disloyalty, or there wasn't? Narrator: Marisa learns about the punishment her great-grandfather's killer faced.
Oh, my--wow.
Narrator: Marisa Tomei is at the site where her great-grandfather was murdered.
She's just uncovered that Leopoldo Bianchi was shot in the back of the head by Terzilio Lazzereschi over a business deal gone wrong.
Tito was fired for disloyalty.
Right.
But he had Leopoldo broker the deal.
Exactly, Leopoldo set it up.
He did the mediation, he did the negotiations.
And part of the negotiations were that Tito, his brother-- - would keep working there.
- Would keep working there.
Mm-hm.
I assume in some kind of, you know, managerial position.
And so when Lazzereschi broke that deal, for whatever reason, and we don't know.
I mean, this charge of disloyalty is all that's in-- - that's what I'm saying.
- We don't know what that is.
That's all we have.
And their issues of business and honor were very important to them.
And so they were very upset and they came after him.
"On the 6th, Francesco Bianchi was moved "to strike Lazzereschi's face with his fists, causing wounds that healed in seven days.
" Right.
I don't know if you know this, but Italians are very concentrated on the face, right? There are some very interesting laws about if you mark somebody permanently versus other damage to the body.
And so any kind of blow to the face was-- wow, I didn't know.
- An extremely serious offense.
- Mm-hm.
"On that evening, march 7th, Lazzereschi, "seeing that Francesco Bianchi continued to maintain "a threatening attitude towards him, "armed himself with a revolver, and Leopoldo grabbed him, breaking two buttons off his waistcoat.
" The indictment is taking that into consideration.
You don't touch people in this society like that.
Uh-huh.
I mean, that's an insult.
"Having lost his self-control because of fear.
" Wow.
"And because he thought that Bianchi was armed "with a revolver, "anticipated by firing his own revolver at Bianchi, "who fell dying.
"As Terzilio did this, Terzilio said, e una.
Or, "and one.
"" He was gonna go after Tito as the other brother, because both brothers had threatened him and both brothers had insulted him.
There's Tito and there is Terzilio.
And in the middle is Leopoldo, who's my great-grandpa.
And he was defending his brother and his family and all the Bianchi's, even his father, Dionisio Bianchi, who owned the whole business.
It's interesting that this is 100 years later, and this story has taken this long to kind of pull apart.
Because my brother had a dream when we were on a family vacation here in Castiglioncello.
He woke up in the middle of the night, and my little cousin, he talks in his sleep.
My brother and my little cousin reported back that he was saying "murder! Murder in the family!" And we never knew why he was-- he had this dream.
And it's so strange that that--there was a murder in the family right here.
I'm heading to Lucca, about an hour north of Castiglioncello, where Lazzereschi was indicted.
I want to find out the details of the trial.
I want to know what really went on.
So I'm meeting with an Italian legal expert and professor of history, Francesco Tamburini.
I'm hoping that you can, uh, shed some light on anything having to do with Leopoldo Bianchi or Terzilio Lazzereschi or anything about that case.
"Lazzereschi, Terzilio.
"30 years of age, from Ponsacco.
"Accused of voluntary homicide of Bianchi, Francesco Leopoldo "was "Acquitted For a legitimate defense.
" So they found that he had-- was defending himself.
- Yeah.
- Mm-hm.
Self-defense.
Coming from behind.
[Laughs.]
Uh-huh.
In town.
[Laughs.]
Oh, my God.
Wow.
Wow.
"September 8th, 1912.
" So this is a year later.
Yeah.
"Court of appeals.
"Terzilio Lazzereschi was sentenced by "the court of assizes of the circuit on April 4, 1912.
"For carrying a prohibited weapon "with a punishment of arrest for 38 days "and a fine of 87 lire and a fifth of the court costs.
" So are they saying that he's-- he only did-- he hardly did anything wrong.
- He just was carrying-- - yeah.
This gun that was prohibited.
Narrator: Marisa learns the fate of her family from a relative she never knew she had.
Oh, my gosh.
Narrator: Marisa Tomei is in Italy, trying to find out if justice was served in the murder of her great-grandfather, Leopoldo Bianchi.
She's just learned the murderer, Terzilio Lazzereschi was not a jealous husband, but a cold-blooded businessman who was acquitted for the crime.
"He accepts that he went to a penal trial "for voluntary homicide before the court in Pisa "and that he was acquitted "following a favorable verdict that when he was arrested there were 500 lire found in his billfold.
" - This is him speaking.
- Yeah.
Lazzereschi's saying He's saying to the court, "well, when I was arrested there were 500 lire found "in my billfold, and that sum was deposited "with the postal administration of Pisa, "and from that deposit you withdrew 388 lire "for the court costs, and there are still available 119 lire.
" And he wants his money back.
[Laughs.]
Three days before the final verdict.
He said, "and by the way, while we're discussing this--" "I want that money back, yeah.
" How much is that money? Uh-huh.
So he wanted about a third of that back.
It's a terrible thing to kill somebody.
I mean, what is it that drives people to that level of-- to murder? You know, is it-- I mean, the court-- what Terzilio's saying-- it was fear for his-- of his own life.
But if he had that money in his pocket, why did he even have that money in his pocket that night? Maybe he was going to try to pay off Leopoldo Bianchi because he broke-- Terzilio broke the contract.
It's just--it's-- we just don't know.
Uh-huh.
Uh-huh.
Mm-hm.
You're being accused of murder, and you're not concerned with your fate, defending your own honor.
The remorse, whether you feel justified or not about killing someone.
You're still making a point, "hey, and I want that money.
" It's almost a sociopathic reaction.
It's a very, very, very strange reaction.
Really a bad person came in and Really did great harm to the family.
When I was a little girl, I pictured the scene of the crime, and I pictured the bar.
And it started to form some romantic notions in my mind.
Now I frame it in a really different way, and I feel that he needed someone to advocate for him.
And he never got that.
Before I head back to the States to share this story with my mom, I'm going to meet with Fabio, who says he has some fascinating news to share with me.
Lazzereschi hires really super high-powered lawyers who-- he winds up being acquitted.
What? Acquitted? Yeah, he winds up being acquitted-- - unbelievable.
- And serving about 38 days.
- That's - Yeah.
That's horrible.
And then funny enough, the name Lazzereschi-- yeah.
Could come from the word lazzarone.
Lazzarone means "a bad man.
" - Lazzarone.
- Lazzarone.
You would say You would say Un lazzarone? - Tu sei un lazzarone.
- Tu sei un lazzarone.
why didn't anyone tell me this from the beginning? Really suits his name, I guess, yes.
In my research, I found an old relative of yours.
Her name is Rosetta Vanucci.
She's 83 years old.
She couldn't come today because she doesn't feel well, and I've got a photo there.
Rosetta.
Beautiful.
She was really sweet and lovely, and she wrote a letter for you and-- - really? - Yes.
- Would you like to read? - Yeah.
Yes.
So she's part of the Canovaro connection? She knew your great-grandmother, Adelaide.
And she talked really-- she remember her.
- She remembers Adelaide? - Yes, she does.
- Oh, my gosh! - She wrote in Italian, yes.
I wrote in English translation for you.
Thank you.
"I received word you are in Italy "looking into your family history.
"I wanted to get in touch to tell you what I know "of your ancestors.
"I am Rosetta Vanucci, the daughter of Bruna Bianchi, "who was your great-grandfather Leopoldo Bianchi's sister, "making me your grandfather Armando Bianchi's cousin "and your first cousin twice removed.
"I was very close to your great-grandmother Adelaide.
"She was a wonderful woman and was very sad when her husband died.
" Mm.
"After that man shot Leopoldo, Adelaide met a nice man in Genoa.
" Yes.
"Who was a marine, and married him.
"He was a good man.
She was happy.
"She loved to dance and laugh "and loved her boys very much.
"Your grandfather Armando worked on boats "like his step-father.
"So she asked Leopoldo's brother Guido "in New York city to give Armando work "and safe passage into the united States "next time he docked there.
"When Armando arrived, Guido met him and covered him with a coat, sneaking him away.
" I had never heard that.
She gave me a photo of Adelaide.
- She had this? - Yes.
I can see my mom a little bit.
Thank you.
The story really isn't a story of a broken family.
She went on to marry a great, great guy, and, uh, my grandpa had a really great life.
It's almost like the spirit of the characters were stronger than the actual events, because that's what still lives on.
And there's a peace to that.
Narrator: Marisa reunites with her mother, and shares the truth of their family history.
- This is a real gift.
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
- I love you.
Narrator: Marisa Tomei is back in New York city to share the surprising details of her great-grandfather's murder with her mother for the first time.
I'll be happy to tell my mother Leopoldo really wasn't up to anything.
He wasn't up to any trickery at all.
He defended his brother, he defended the family honor.
So that's a different spin on what's been told in the family.
Terzilio Lazzereschi pulled out a gun.
- Yeah.
- Oh, my God.
- And he shot him from behind.
- Oh, my God.
From behind, point blank.
Wow.
- Oh, how horrendous.
- I know! - Violent.
- It's terrible.
Was there a trial? He was a wealthy guy.
And he hired, like, the dream team lawyers of the time.
And they got him off.
[Gasps.]
- Oh, God, how infuriating.
- Yeah! Oh, my God.
They got him off.
It's upsetting, isn't it? - Oh, God.
- I see, yeah.
- Oh, my poor grandmother.
- Yeah, yeah.
- Oh, my goodness.
- Yeah.
What I know now is, regardless of what happened, he certainly didn't bring it upon himself.
My mother was carrying an idea that he had put his family at risk and cost his family so much pain.
I had this impression that he was just a philanderer.
I know.
I guess, too, possibly I was thinking that it was his own fault, that he had gotten into this mess and then left my poor father.
- Oh, yeah.
- You know.
That he shouldn't have taken the risks that he did and then-- and left his wife - Uh-huh.
- Uh, widowed Yeah.
- And his children orphaned.
- Yeah.
Because of his own nature and character.
Yeah.
And so maybe that wasn't the case.
- Yeah.
- And that's-- that's nicer to hear.
To see the relief just wash over her.
I wasn't expecting that.
I don't think she was expecting that.
It's the things we carry with us from our family's legacy, our family's history, even the secrets that we don't know that we're carrying.
I didn't expect that I would be feeling, uh I don't know, this sense of relief.
Wow.
It's like a resolution, yeah.
It might take a little while.
I think all of this absorbs into us and influences our behavior in some mystical way.
- Yeah.
- Some spiritual way affects the generations even to come.
Yeah.
So we know now a lot more about Leopoldo's character and now I have much more of a connection to him.
I can feel his presence, he's much more-- he's alive in my heart and in my mind's eye and in my family again.
Things certainly would have been different.
Yeah.
If, uh, if he hadn't been killed.
'Cause my father would never have come here.
- And, uh, we wouldn't exist.
- Yeah, yeah.
- This is a real gift.
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
- [Squeals.]
I love you.