Romano Mussolini

Italian jazz pianist, painter, and film producer (1927–2006)

For his grandson, a footballer, see Romano Floriani Mussolini.

Romano Mussolini

Romano Mussolini in 1932

Born|

Romano Bruno Mussolini

(1927-09-26)26 September 1927

Forlì, Italy

Died| 3 February 2006(2006-02-03) (aged 78)

Rome, Italy

Occupations|

* Jazz pianist
* painter
* film producer

Years active| 1945–2006
Spouses|

Maria Scicolone

(m. 1962, divorced)​

* Carla M. Puccini [it]

Children| 3, including Alessandra and Rachele
Parent(s)| Benito Mussolini
Rachele Guidi
Relatives| Sophia Loren (sister-in-law)
Romano Floriani Mussolini (grandson)

Romano Bruno Mussolini (26 September 1927 – 3 February 2006) was an Italian jazz pianist, painter, and film producer.[1] He was the fourth child and youngest son of Benito Mussolini.

## Early life and education

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Romano Mussolini grew up in Villa Carpena [it], his family's residence in Forlì in Romagna.[2] He studied music as a child, playing classical pieces on the piano and accompanying his father, Benito Mussolini, who played[3] the violin. After World War II, he started playing jazz under the assumed name "Romano Full".[4]

## Musical career

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His playing style has been described as "like a slightly melancholic Oscar Peterson. Occasionally inspired, he was always efficient; he made the refrains run on time."[5]

## Personal life

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In 1962, Mussolini married Maria Scicolone, the younger sister of actress Sophia Loren. They had two daughters, Alessandra and her younger sister Elisabetta. Alessandra led a small Italian far-right party often described as neofascist, Alternativa Sociale. Romano Mussolini composed the party's official anthem, "The Pride of Being Italian".[5]

With his second wife, the actress Carla Maria Puccini [it], he had a daughter, Rachele Mussolini, named after his mother Rachele Guidi. The younger Rachele has served as a member of the city council of Rome.[6]

Mussolini was very reserved about his family history until the entry of the post-fascist National Alliance party into government following the 2001 general election.[7] In 2004 he published a broadly sympathetic account of his personal recollections of his father, Il Duce, mio padre (translated as My father, il Duce: a memoir by Mussolini's son, alluding to the Fascist dictator's official title), including anecdotes of private confidences and discussions.[7]

## Death

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Romano Mussolini died from heart problems in a hospital in Rome in 2006, aged 78.

## Selected discography

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* Mirage (1974)
* Soft & Swing (1996)
* The Wonderful World of Louis (2001)
* Timeless Blues (2002)
* Music Blues (2002)
* Romano Piano & Forte (2002)
* Jazz Album (2003)
* Napule 'nu quarto 'e luna (2003)
* Alibi perfetto (2004) – soundtrack

## Books

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* Mussolini, Romano (2006) [2004]. My father il Duce: a memoir by Mussolini's son. Translated by Stojanovic, Ana. Introductory essay by Alexander Stille. San Diego, CA: Kales Press. ISBN 0-9670076-8-2.

## References

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1. ^ "Same name, different fame". The Sydney Morning Herald. March 18, 2006.
2. ^ Frasca, Simona; Vizzaccaro, Federico (2012). "Mussolini, Romano". Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (in Italian). Vol. 77\. Treccani. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024.
3. ^ Chornik, Katia (29 July 2002). "El violìn de Mussolini". BBC Mundo (in Spanish). BBC. Archived from the original on 17 March 2024.
4. ^ Mazzoletti, Adriano (2001). "Romano Mussolini". In Sadie, Stanley; Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5.‎
5. ^ a b Steyn, Mark (May 2006). "He made the refrains run on time". The Atlantic Monthly.
6. ^ "Rachele Mussolini: Fascist dictator's granddaughter wins most votes in Rome's municipal elections". Euronews. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
7. ^ a b Mussolini, Romano (2006). "Introductory essay by Alexander Stille". My father il Duce: a memoir by Mussolini's son. San Diego, CA: Kales Press. ISBN 0-9670076-8-2. "Writing the introductory essay to My Father Il Duce is a bit like writing the warning label on a powerful drug that has its uses but must be taken with care and knowledge of its potential side effects. The greatest benefit, perhaps, is understanding the evasions and self-deceptions of a certain kind of revisionist history and the conscious and unconscious manipulation of memory in learning to accept the unacceptable."

## External links

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* Mussolini's jazz pianist son dies from BBC News
* Singer Helen Merrill recalls Romano Mussolini
* Romano Mussolini at IMDb
* E' morto Romano Mussolini, il figlio jazzista del duce from La Repubblica (in Italian)

* v
* t
* e

Benito Mussolini

Head of the Government and Duce of Fascism (1922–1943)
Assassination attempts * Death

Politics|

* Duce
* Fascist Manifesto
* Italian Fascism
* Spazio vitale
* Economic policies
* Racist policies
* Leggi razziali
* Manifesto della razza
* Fascist propaganda
* Model of masculinity
* Rome–Berlin Axis
* Pact of Steel

Events|

* March on Rome
* Mussolini Cabinet
* Second Italo-Ethiopian War
* Foundation of the Empire
* Spanish Civil War
* Invasion of Albania
* World War II
* Mussolini's escape
* Italian Civil War
* Dongo Treasure

Elections|

* 1924 general election
* 1929 general election
* 1934 general election

Political parties|

* Italian Socialist Party (1901–1914)
* Fascio d'Azione Rivoluzionaria (1914–1919)
* Fasci Italiani di Combattimento (1919–1921)
* National Fascist Party (1921–1943)
* Republican Fascist Party (1943–1945)

Family|

* Rachele Mussolini (wife)
* Clara Petacci (lover)
* Ida Dalser (wife)
* Margherita Sarfatti (lover)
* Edda Mussolini (daughter)
* Vittorio Mussolini (son)
* Bruno Mussolini (son)
* Romano Mussolini (son)
* Maria Scicolone (daughter-in-law)
* Alessandra Mussolini (granddaughter)
* Rachele Mussolini (granddaughter)
* Fabrizio Ciano, 3rd Count of Cortellazzo and Buccari (grandson)
* Romano Floriani Mussolini (great-grandson)

Popular culture|

* Television:
* Dwight's Speech
* Mussolini: Son of the Century

* Books:
* Mussolini diaries
* Mussolini: His Part in My Downfall
* M: Son of the Century

* Films:
* Benito
* The Eternal City
* Mussolini and I
* I'm Back
* The Killers of Mussolini
* Last Days of Mussolini
* Mussolini Speaks
* Mussolini: The Untold Story
* Vincere

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Italy
* Spain
* Netherlands
* Israel

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

People|

* Italian People
* Deutsche Biographie

Other|

* IdRef

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