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Enzo Tortora’s life serves as a sobering reminder of the fallibility of justice systems and the devastating impact of wrongful convictions.
Despite enduring personal hardships, he will forever be remembered for his contributions to Italian television and his unwavering fight to prove his innocence.
Enzo Tortora’s Biography
Enzo Tortora, born on 30 November 1928 in Genoa, Italy, was an Italian television presenter known for his unjust conviction and subsequent acquittal.
Tortora began his career in theatre alongside Paolo Villaggio after earning a journalism degree, before joining RAI, Italy’s national radio and television corporation, as a radio broadcaster.
In 1956, he made his television debut and went on to host successful shows such as Domenica Sportiva and Giochi senza frontiere.
Tortora lost his job in 1969 after criticising RAI’s administration. He compared them to a gang of boy scouts attempting to fly a supersonic aeroplane, which did not sit well with the network.
Tortora, undeterred, pursued employment at several commercial television stations and newspapers until returning to RAI in 1977.
Tortora was instrumental in breaking the state monopoly on television broadcasting in Italy during the 1970s.
He was a founding member of Telebiella, the country’s first independent television station, as well as Telealtomilanese and Antenna 3 Lombardia.
His initiatives paved the way for a more diverse media landscape, providing viewers with greater access to a broader selection of programming.
Tortora began hosting a show called Portobello in 1977, which rapidly became a huge sensation.
Every Friday night, the show drew up to 26 million viewers and allowed viewers to purchase and sell products, submit ideas or innovations, and even look for long-lost acquaintances.
Portobello the green parrot, the show’s mascot, became a beloved figure, and participants anxiously strove to persuade him to utter his own name.
Tortora’s life, however, took a terrible turn on June 17, 1983, when he was arrested on bogus claims brought by several Nuova Camorra Organizzata turncoats.
These people, who included Pasquale Barra, Giovanni Pandico, and Giovanni Melluso, falsely accused Tortora of cocaine trafficking.
Tortora was later shown to have been confused for another person with the same surname. Despite this, the accusations persisted, culminating to his seven-month imprisonment.
Tortora was falsely convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison in 1985. He narrowly avoided additional incarceration by accepting an invitation from the Radical Party to run for the European Parliament elections.
Tortora was elected by a landslide, demonstrating a split nation’s support for and disbelief in his guilt. However, his release remained a long-term aim.
Tortora was finally acquitted in September 1986 by the Court of Appeal of Naples. In 1987, the Supreme Court of Cassation upheld his complete innocence and took action against the magistrates who had wrongfully tried and sentenced him.
Despite his exoneration, Tortora’s health had suffered as a result of the incident, and he tragically contracted cancer.
Tortora returned to television in February 1987, after a four-year sabbatical, to present Portobello, addressing his absence with the lines, “Well then, where did we leave off?”
Unfortunately, his cancer battle proved insurmountable, and he died in May 1988.
Who Is Enzo Tortora’s First Wife?
Enzo Tortora’s first wife is known as ย Pasqualina Reillo. ย Pasqualina Reilloย and Enzo Tortora were married in 1953 but unfortunately divorced in 1959.
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