Sex, Drugs and Paparazzi

April 9, 2007 — -- The term "paparazzi" was coined in Italy to describe the wolf pack of photographers that stalks celebrities worldwide.

And now the rich and famous are squirming as Italian prosecutors peel back the onion on a paparazzi scandal called "vallettopoli" -- and it's a story filled with all the sex, drugs, fame and betrayal any tabloid reader could want.

At center stage is Fabrizio Corona, a tough-looking guy, sporting tattoos and "Men in Black"-style sunglasses. The owner of a well-known photo agency, Corona has been accused, together with talent scout Lele Mora, of blackmailing VIPs by threatening to publish compromising pictures.

Francesco Totti, Italian soccer icon, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's daughter Barbara, the current prime minister's spokesman, and many more TV and movie actors, football players and politicians are the subjects of sensational photographs in an archive of 1,600 CDs from the agency.

Corona denies any wrongdoing and portrays himself as a modern and selfish Robin Hood who steals from the rich and gives to himself. He explains he was only offering stars the chance to buy pictures and gossip at the same price he would charge the publications.

Investigators tapping Corona's phones overheard him tell his wife: "Yes it's true, I ruin lives, I am a piece of s*** and I don't even feel guilty anymore."

Corona and his colleague, among 12 arrested in the case, are accused of inviting wealthy and famous people to parties with drugs and starlets (the valletto) providing "favors." All this was recorded on film and the most sensational pictures were used as blackmail, according to prosecutors.

Corona puts it in another way: "For example, I convince a girl who wants to appear on the newspapers to go with some famous guy. This famous guy doesn't know someone will take a picture of him and he goes with her. What's the difference if he is aware or not that he would be taken photographed? He's been with her anyway," he explained in a televised interview.