Antonello Zappadu was born in
Pattada, the son of Mario Zappadu, a journalist for
RAI (Italian Public Television)., and brother of Salvatore, with whom he wrote his biography. He was married twice and has three sons, including well-known rapper
Hell Raton. He worked for many press agencies, among them
ANSA and
E Polis. He has lived and worked in
Colombia.
Age of Kidnapping Zappadu began as an
investigative reporter in the city of
Olbia, near to
Costa Smeralda. The area had high-rates of Sardinian banditry “
anonima sarda”. He developed a database on the subject. He had contacts the criminal
Graziano Mesina and collaborated with him to get the release of the young Farouk Kassam. In 1996 in
Barbagia region, he escaped an ambush. In 1997, during the
kidnapping of Silvia Melis, through the request of a priest, his friend, delivered a message to the kidnappers. Therefore, the Public Prosecutor's Office of
Lanusei charged him with aiding and abetting a kidnapping. Two years later the case was dismissed because he was declared innocent.
Villa Certosa pictures In 2009 Zappadu tried to sell 700 pictures of then
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to Italian and foreign magazines, that he took stealthily at Berlusconi's residence Villa Certosa, at Porto Rotondo Country, and at the airport of Olbia, Costa Smeralda, on 4 separate days. The pictures portrayed the daily life in one of the most famous residences in the world at the time. Berlusconi hosted frequently
heads of state such as
Putin and
Mubarak and famous businessman, like
Flavio Briatore, the director of
Forza Italia, his political party, and organized parties with the participation of escorts, mistresses and friends, like the well-known “papi girl” Noemi Letizia. The scandal arose because Zappadu in summer 2007 took a picture of the Italian premier sitting on a bank between two very young women. The magazine
Oggi published these photos illustrating a broad report below the heading "The Berlusconi harem". The "Villa", as official institutional residence, was covered by the
official secret act. It is possible to see women in a thong and topless, and the
Prime Minister of the
Czech Republic,
Topolánek, then
President of the European Council, naked by a swimming pool, close to some women. Furthermore, Zappadu documented the use of official government flights for friends, and the
judiciary investigated Berlusconi. The scandal had interest in important English, North and South American, and even Chinese magazines, and naturally Czech newspapers, that gets a severe reaction of Nobel prize winner
Saramago and
Mario Vargas Llosa, who expressed his appreciation for the report.
Judicial dimension In 2007, Zappadu was tried for trespassing and violation of privacy, in relation to the pictures sold to
Oggi magazine. The first crime was dropped because no offence was committed (according to the report of the group Ros of
Carabinieri); the second was passed the
statute of limitation. In 2009 the 700 pictures were seized and the attorneys of Silvio Berlusconi denounced the reporter for unlawful entry, fraud and invasion of privacy. The first two charges were set aside, while according the statute of limitation for invasion of privacy had expired. On that occasion Zappadu declared that he didn't take just 700 pictures, but 5,000, taken between 2006 and 2009, and that they are in Colombia, free from legal proceedings. In the summer of 2009,
Emilio Fede, director of
TG 4 news, criticisms of Zappadu led him to sue her for
libel: following which, in 2016 Fede was sentenced. In 2011 further criminal proceedings were brought, because of the cover of ''
L'espresso'' magazine: "Voi quorum, io Papi" (Quorum for you, I'm Dad). The judicial process goes on, but in 2018 Zappadu met Berlusconi == Published works ==