London 23.07.12 – Another extraordinary development in the research collaboration I conducted with Mabel Rehnfeldt from ABC Color in Paraguay: contrary to his humble and rather impoverished origins in Venezuela, he is now a member of the defunct noble class of Italy. While he wanted to project himself as a citizen of Panama with a doctorate to the Paraguayans, to Italians and others in that context, he now claims to be “Barone di Messina,” which translates to Baron of Messina.
It’s evident that Barone is playing his name card. Because nothing could be further from the truth. Barone in Italian means Baron, a title of nobility. There are some online references about “Barone di Messina,” which tell the story 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 en diversas località dell’isola, dando luogo a nuevas 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.” (emphasis added)
Note that in Italian it refers to “I Barone di Messina,” meaning the Barone family of Messina, which is associated with the Abbenevoli family from Reggio in Calabria and inherited the title of marquis of Montebello. The key is “io” and the next verb “s’imparentarono,” which is in plural form.
One can only speculate how an upstart thug from Caracas, a fugitive from justice in Paraguay and subject of financial alerts issued by Panamanian authorities, can pretend to be a noble, especially in Europe, where it’s so easy to be exposed in good social circles where people are obsessively self-aware with a deep – although misplaced and irrelevant – sense of “self-importance” in history.
My Italian source also mentioned that Barone may have hidden his stolen money in a quite special and controversial bank in Italy. If this revelation proves true, it would be a scandal of considerable proportions, given Barone’s new notoriety with INTERPOL. Then, there’s also the matter of a lawyer in London, willing to recruit well-connected Italians to engage in business with Barone.
In summary, it seems this saga is far from over. I will communicate all the information I have been provided to INTERPOL, and my Italian source has done so as well. To be continued…