A failed blackmail attempt against Fabrizio Corona, who showed up with law enforcement at his meeting with someone who had asked him for €500 to avoid harming him and his son, Carlos. It all began on the night between Thursday and Friday in Milan, when Corona received calls and texts on his cell phone from two young men whom the 52-year-old recognized as former friends of his son, Carlos Maria Corona, born in 2002 from his marriage to Nina Morić. The two ordered him to show up with €500: "If you don't pay, we'll hurt you and your son."
Around 1:00 PM, the fifty-two-year-old—who pleaded guilty in July to a fraudulent bankruptcy case involving the Fenice company and the purchase of his former Milanese home and was sentenced in 2013 to five years in prison for aggravated extortion in connection with the "photo blackmail" of French footballer David Trezeguet— presented himself at the police reporting office on Via Fatebenefratelli and explained what had happened, showing officers the chat messages containing the threats and explaining that the two blackmailers were waiting for him on Via Nöe, in the Città Studi area. Getting back into his Range Rover, the former photo agent headed to the meeting point, with two crews from the Police Headquarters' General Prevention Office acting as a remote "escort" to monitor the situation.
The alleged author of the messages, a 20-year-old, arrived on the scene and, unaware of the patrol cars, smashed the rear window of Corona's car with a chain. The young man was immediately stopped by officers, who also found a can of pepper spray on him, while his friend fled. Corona provided his name, and the 20-year-old man also confirmed the identity of his 24-year-old accomplice. The prosecutor on duty then decided to charge the 20-year-old— the son of a journalist and television host —who is currently at liberty with attempted extortion and aggravated criminal damage. Since numerous images of weapons were found on his smartphone, a search of his home was carried out, but nothing was found. The investigation, however, is ongoing.
