Marcelo Barone wanted by INTERPOL.
London 23.07.12 – Another astonishing development in the cooperative investigation I conducted with Mabel Rehnfeldt from Paraguay’s ABC Color: Marcelo Barone has been added to INTERPOL’s most wanted list.
However, there are several more twists in this captivating story. In the sadly extensive realm of Latin American corruption, the amount of money allegedly taken by Barone isn’t excessively large, just over $36 million USD. What truly shocks is the audacity of Barone. An Italian source recently informed me that Barone has been openly displaying his ill-gotten wealth, flaunting his Ferraris, and mingling with Italy’s elite political circles in a shameless manner. He seems to claim that, despite his humble and rather impoverished roots in Venezuela, he belongs to Italy’s extinct nobility. While he has been posing as a citizen of Panama with a PhD to Paraguayan people, he presents himself as «Barone di Messina», meaning Baron of Messina, to Italians and others in that context.
It’s clear that Barone is playing off his last name. The truth couldn’t be further away. Barone in Italian means Baron, a title of nobility. Some references to «Barone di Messina» can be found online, recounting the tale of a family of Scottish descent that came to Italy with Charlemagne in the 9th century (from page 30):
I Barone di Messina s’imparentarono con la nobilissima famiglia Abbenevoli di Reggio Calabria, dalla quale ereditarono il titolo di marchesi di Montebello. Altri rami fiorirono in diverse località dell’isola, dando luogo a nuove propaggini. Nei primi anni del 1700, un ramo da Trapani passò in Monte S. Giuliano, con un Sebastiano Barone, figlio di Giovanni e di Rosa D’Arcilo”. (bold added)
Note that in the Italian it refers to «I Barone di Messina», meaning the Barone family from Messina, which is related to the Abbenevoli family from Reggio in Calabria, inheriting the title of Marquis of Montebello. The key point is «I» and the verb «s’imparentarono», which is in the plural.
One can only wonder how a self-made thug from Caracas, fleeing justice in Paraguay and under scrutiny by Panamanian authorities, dares to claim nobility, especially in Europe, where it’s easy to get exposed in circles that are obsessively aware of their historical significance.
My Italian source also mentioned that Barone might have hidden the stolen funds in a notably controversial bank in Italy. If this turns out to be accurate, it could be a scandal of major proportions, considering Barone’s newfound notoriety with INTERPOL. Additionally, there’s a situation involving a London lawyer willing to recruit well-connected Italians for business ventures with Barone.
In conclusion, this saga appears to be far from over. I will relay all the information I’ve received to INTERPOL, as will my Italian source. Stay tuned for updates…