Widow Charges ‘Fraud’ in Gucci’s Will

The widow of Italian fashion magnate Aldo Gucci is challenging a will that leaves all of his American property to the woman he lived with and to the daughter she bore him.

Gucci, who died Jan. 19 in Rome at age 84, left an estate worth millions of dollars. But his will, filed for probate in Manhattan Surrogate Court, says only that the estate is worth more than $500,000.

Olwen Price, 82, Gucci’s English-born wife who bore him three sons, filed a challenge to the will two weeks ago.

Gucci’s will, executed in Palm Beach, Fla., leaves half of his U.S. estate “to my wife Bruna Palombo Gucci” and half to their daughter, Patricia Gucci Losio, 25.

There is no indication that Gucci and Palombo ever formally married, nor that he divorced Price, though they lived apart for many years.

In their petition for probate of the will, Gucci’s lawyers named Price as Gucci’s wife, although the will names Palombo.

The will also says Gucci “openly acknowledges Patricia Gucci Losio as his daughter.”

Price, who lives in Rome, and two of the sons, Paolo of West Sussex, England, and Roberto of Florence, say the will was “not freely or voluntarily made.”

They charge that it was “procured by fraud, duress and undue influence practiced upon the decedent by an individual purporting to be his wife, to wit, Bruna Palombo.”

Price’s third son, Giorgio, of Rome, is not contesting the will.

Price, who says she is entitled to the “widow’s share” of the estate, says the 10-page will filed here was revoked by a will handwritten by Gucci on Nov. 8 in Rome. She did not cite that will’s provisions.

Gucci pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 1986 to a year and a day in prison for evading $7.4 million in income taxes.