Category Archives: crime

Escaping the Holocaust: Hiding from Home in Varese

Posted on January 29, 2025 by comocompanion

Personal testimonies can help us understand the reality of living through historical events. These diary extracts convey some sense of the constant anxiety in avoiding deportation to a Nazi death camp. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, History, People, Uncategorized | Tagged Auschwitz, cernobbio, Como, De Danonis, Fargion, germany, History, holocaust, Italian Jews, jews, nazifascists, Race Laws, Shoah, Varese, Wartime | 2 Comments

Como to Auschwitz on Convoy 8

Posted on January 31, 2024 by comocompanion

Convoy 8 to Auschwitz. The story of a diverse group all arrested in Como over December 1943 but from different backgrounds forced on the same journey and to share the same fate due to their shared ethnicity. The enormity of where racism can lead us must surely never be forgotten. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, History, Uncategorized | Tagged Auschwitz, Brunate, Convoy, Fossoli, History, holocaust, jews, Memorial Day, Olgiate, Questura, RSI, Shoah, SS, world-war-ii | 6 Comments

Lake Como in Fiction

Posted on January 21, 2024 by comocompanion

Some suggested holiday reading with Lake Como used as the backdrop for holiday romance, crime and historical drama – how is our lake depicted? Continue reading →

Posted in crime, Culture, History, Lake, Uncategorized | Tagged book-review, book-reviews, books, Como, fiction, holiday reading, Lake Como, landscape, novels, writing | 7 Comments

Wartime Occupation of Cernobbio

Posted on December 1, 2023 by comocompanion

This article reports the results of recent research undertaken at Cernobbio’s Archivio Storico into the extent of the Nazi occupation of Cernobbio from September 1943 until the end of the war in April 1945. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, History | Tagged Carminati, Celio, Commisariato Alloggi, Egeli, Joseph Voetterl, Joseph Votterl, Porta, Prefect, requistion, Scassellati, sequester, villa d'este, villa erba, Von Horstig | 5 Comments

True Crime in Como – the Molteni Murder

Posted on September 15, 2021 by comocompanion

The ‘Delitto Molteni’ is a local true crime story which contains some elements of tragedy within it. A respected architect is accidentally murdered in a plot hatched by his ex-wife and her lover. He dies and they end up with long terms in prison with a further 10 people convicted for their involvement. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, Uncategorized | Tagged Alberto Brivio, Cantu, Como, Court of Assizes, Daniela Rho, Molteni, murder, true crime | Leave a comment

Como’s Changing Lakefront

Posted on August 5, 2021 by comocompanion

Como is justifiably famous for the beauty of its natural surroundings and of its ancient walled city, for the inventiveness and quality of its silk production and for the creativity and skills of its artists and artisans throughout the centuries. The list of positives does not end there but it also ranks as the city with the longest, worst managed and corrupted civil engineering project throughout Northern Italy – but an end to the flood defence project is finally in sight. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, Lake, People, Politics | Tagged Amici di Como, ANAC, Como, flood defences, floods, Lake Como, lakefront, Mario Lucini, paratie, Pietro Gilardoni, Roberto Maroni, SACAIM | Leave a comment

The Romantic Era of Smuggling: A Game of Cat and Mouse on Lake Como

Posted on April 15, 2021 by comocompanion

The Romantic Era of Smuggling: A Game of Cat and Mouse on Lake Como. Smuggling was common along the entire length of Italy’s northern border but particularly prevalent around the lakes so much as to become a key element in local folklore. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, Culture, Folklore, History, Itineraries, Lake, People, Uncategorized, Walks | Tagged Burlanda, Cigarettes, Cinto, coffee, Colonno, contraband, contrabbandieri, Davide Van De Sfroos, Domenica del Corriere, Erbonne, finanzieri, guardia di finanza, Il Cimino, Lanzo, Lezzeno, Ment, smugglers, Smuggling, spalloni, Switzerland, val d'intelvi | Leave a comment

Hollywood, Gucci and Lake Como

Posted on March 16, 2021 by comocompanion

Hollywood, Gucci and Lake Como. On 17th March Hollywood will descend on Lake Como for a day of filming at the Villa Balbiano. The film is about the Gucci family and the murder of Maurizio Gucci ordered by his estranged wife, Patrizia Reggiani. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, Culture, Events, Lake, People | Tagged Adriano Celentano, Al pacino, Canepa, celebrity, film, Fiorio, Flora, Grand Hotel Cadenabbia, Gucci, Hollywood, Lady Gaga, Maurizio Gucci, Patrizia Reggiani, Villa Balbianello, Villa Balbiano, villa d'este | 1 Comment

Cleaning Up Como’s Tax Office

Posted on February 16, 2021 by comocompanion

Cleaning Up Como’s Tax Office. The Director of the Province of Como’s tax office (the Agenzia delle Entrate) has been convicted of taking bribes in exchange for heavily discounting local businessmen’s tax bills at a cost of €2 million in lost revenue. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, People, Uncategorized | Tagged accountants, bribes, corruption, Entrate, guardia di finanza, Pennestri, tangenti, tax, Ufficio Entrate | Leave a comment

Escape to Switzerland via Monte Bisbino

Posted on January 25, 2021 by comocompanion

Escape to Switzerland via Monte Bisbino – the story of Anna Sacerdoti and her family and how they avoided deportation – to honour this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day. Continue reading →