Tributo all'indimeticabile Principe della risata:
Totò (Napoli, 15 febbraio 1898 - Roma, 15 aprile 1967), nome d'arte di Antonio de Curtis Gagliardi Griffo Focas Flavio Ducas Comneno Porfirogenito, Principe di Bisanzio, è stato uno dei più grandi attori comici italiani del Novecento, nonché compositore di canzoni e poeta.
Born in 1898, son of Anna Clemente and Giuseppe de Curtis, son of a Marquis. As a youngster, he preferred sports to studying, and in an incident with either a football or in the boxing ring, part of his nose became paralysed, thus giving him that look which later became his trademark. Travelled to Rome to work in local theatres and met Liliana Castagnola, who committed suicide when Toto would not refuse a contract in Padova. In 1931 he met Diana Bandini Rodigliani. They had a daughter, Liliana in 1934 and married in 1935 (various dates given). He filed for divorce in Hungary on the grounds of her infidelity and it was finally ruled in Italy in 1940. For the sake of their daughter, they continued their family life by still living together, but free to have other relationships. It was on the set of his first film "47 Morto Chi Parla" that he met the actress Silvana Pampanini. The media reported this blooming relationship and Diana accepted a marriage proposal from a lawyer. Apparently Toto felt very hurt and when he wrote the song "Malafemmina", it was rumoured that he really wrote it for Diana, not Silvana. His real true love came in the form of Franca Faldini in 1951 when he was taken aback by her photo on the cover of 'Oggi'. She was only 21- he 53. They secretly wed in Switzerland in 1954 and in October of that year, Franca almost died giving birth to their son Massenzio, who sadly died a few hours later. Toto threw himself back into work, but in 1956, he suffered a serious bout of bronchitis. Three days later in Milan, he forced himself to go on stage, but had to return to his sick bed. His tour took him to Geneva, then Florence, then Palermo. In each of these places he suffered gradual loss of sight which would plaugue him for the rest of his years. Up until two days prior to his death, he was working but still ill. His heart finally gave in on the 15 April 1967, and his last word were directed at the true love of his life: "I've loved you very much Franca. Very much."
