If you lived through the beginnings of the home video era, during which films like The Atlantis Interceptors, Evil Senses and Conquest could be found in just about every video store – and they normally did pretty darned well too – then you’ll be familiar with Gioia Scola. As well as appearing in all three of these titles, she was also in other genre films like Too Beautiful to Die, Pathos and Per Sempre. And then, after being so busy throughout the eighties… nothing. She seemed to just disappear. Now this isn’t uncommon for Italian starlets, who have a habit of dropping out of circulation after appearing in a handful of productions. Generally, though, this is either because they don’t have the talent to maintain a career or because they move on to other things (marrying politicians etc etc).
This wasn’t the case with Sra Scola: not only was she extremely beautiful, she was also one of the more talented of genre stars at the time. Her story was rather different, as becomes clear in this interview, from a 2007 issue of Il giornale:
Goia Scola was riding high when she was arrested in 1985, and it took 12 years for her to finally be acquitted.
Twelve years ago. It seems a lifetime. It was in June of 1995 that a life was ruined, that of Mary Gioia Tibiletti, better known as Gioia Scola. An actress on the rise, she’d already made a name for herself in the films of the yuppie period, along with the likes of Jerry Calà and Ezio Greggio. And it only took a moment to destroy it. An informant, Mario Fienga, primed by a zealous but as yet unknown puppeteer, took it upon himself to accuse a number of people such as Paolo Berlusconi and the then minister Giovanni Goria. Two words, and then two more. Some gangster who ends up in handcuffs and confesses that worked on the import and export of cocaine from Brazil, a trade that fuelled the whole star system. The result? Some real criminals were arrested, but also Gioia Scola. And it was only on 31st January 2007, upon direct request by the prosecutor, that she received the sentence which she deserved: a complete acquittal, because the accusation was untrue.
So it took twelve years to reach justice. In the meantime, Mrs Scola, how has it changed your life?
“My life has been destroyed. Or, rather, they tried to destroy it. Following my arrest, my mother fell into depression, an abyss from which she has never recovered. But I’m tough, I reacted. I screamed my innocence. For two years they ransacked my house, my bank accounts, intercepted my phone calls hoping to find something. It was useless. I wasn’t hiding anything because I had nothing to hide. ”
How did she explain the situation she found herself in?
“The magistrates saw the close friendship I had with the sister of Vincent Buondonno, who was then jailed in Rio for drug smuggling. It was a casual friendship. I then traveled extensively for work and had known the family since I frequented their restaurant in Brazil. I did not know they were criminals. Nothing. So when the repentant informant pulled out my name, I felt the world collapse. I asked for an explanation from those who accused me and they reneged on everything. I realized immediately that someone had asccused me, an honest people, defiled me with the worst lies. ”
So how did it happen?
“The answer comes from the prosecutor Andrea De Gasperis, the person who asked for my full acquittal. And he wondered, in his speech in the courtroom, why his colleagues had me arrested in the first place. How can you not think it was planned? Or a kind of mania on the part of certain magistrates.”
A parallel with what is happening now?
“The parallel is certain. I do not know Dr. Woodcock, but I can say that judges should pursue those who commit crimes. They should hit hard when the offense is established. But if the offense is not there, if there are only rumors, then it is different; having your name dragged through the mud can ruin your life, whether you’re an actor, politician or businessman. And it’s only hearsay.”
Do you believe that some of your colleagues may come to be in a situation like yours?
“I frankly can’t rule that out. A situation like mine, with five months’ imprisonment, with full-page headlines in which I was called a huge dealer, all because of lies, it was like being in a situation written by Kafka. Hopefully that will not happen again. ”
You call yourself a strong woman, how did you react?
“It was not the prison that weighed on me the most. While I was in prison, in fact, I took the opportunity to write and produce the 2001 film MALEFEMMENE which tells the story of women ending up in prison after assorted adventures. What had the most impact was the defamation. For this reason, now that I have found confidence in justice, I will ask for compensation. ”
Her acting career was cut short …
“Fortunately, I don’t miss the set, so I have no regrets. Because today I put all my energies into writing and producing films. The success of MALEFEMMENE, with Giovanna Mezzogiorno and Angela Molina, written with Anna Pavignano, the author of all Troisi’s films, encouraged me to continue on this road. ”
And in the future?
“I’m working on Capitanessa, a film in two episodes for the TV that will have Sabrina Ferilli playing the protagonist.”
