The Roman nights of Mario Buscemi, an 88-year-old retired Italian general, were an ode to excess. Surrounded by a court of strippers, the military man squandered a fortune on diamonds, designer clothes, apartments and luxury travel. By the time his children tried to stop the bleeding, it was too late: more than a million euros had disappeared. Now, Italian authorities are tracing the money and, among the clues, Ibiza and Formentera appear. Could part of the lost fortune have ended up in the Balearic Islands?
The story, which seems to have come out of a film noir movie, began to come to light after Buscemi’s death in July 2024. In a scandal revealed by Corriere della Sera, it was detailed how the elderly man, a former Italian government advisor in the 1990s, was allegedly manipulated by a group of young women working in strip clubs in Rome. With them, the general spared no expense: Cartier watches, fur coats, diamonds, dinners in the most exclusive restaurants of the Italian capital and trips to vacation paradises.
What initially seemed like the extravagance of an elderly man with money to spare turned out to be a case of alleged exploitation of a vulnerable person. According to the complaint filed by his own children, Buscemi was the victim of a network that knew how to empty his bank accounts without him even realizing the extent of the scam.
The money trail and the connection to Ibiza
Investigators have followed the money trail and have detected suspicious transfers that could be linked to properties and vacations in Ibiza and Formentera. It is suspected that some of the women involved would have used the funds obtained from the general to finance extended stays on the island or even invest in real estate.
Ibiza, with its mix of luxury, partying and anonymity, has historically been a perfect refuge for those seeking to enjoy their fortune away from prying eyes. It would not be the first time that the Balearic island appears on the radar of a case of money laundering or money of dubious origin.
Private chats and large sums of money
The case has become even more relevant with the leak of private conversations between Buscemi and his “girlfriends”. In messages published by the Italian press, they detail explicit requests for money ranging from €200,000 to €300,000, always with the promise of eternal love and devotion. “I need 20,000 euros for an apartment”, “I can’t pay my debts without your help”, “You are my only support”, were some of the phrases that, according to prosecutors, convinced the general to open his wallet without hesitation.
One of the darkest aspects of the scandal is that the women were not acting alone. According to the investigation, behind them there could have been an organization coordinating the scam, managing the bank accounts and ensuring that the gifts were transformed into assets that were difficult to trace.
A scandal with international implications
Now, Italian justice is investigating whether part of the money ended up in Ibiza and Formentera and whether assets linked to the protagonists of the case can be identified. The Spanish authorities have been alerted and are working to identify possible real estate investments or suspicious transfers on the island.
This scandal has reignited the debate in Italy about the vulnerability of the elderly to emotional scams and the ease with which they can be stripped of their wealth. The general’s children have told the press that their father “was manipulated and ruthlessly exploited” and demand that those responsible face justice.
