Aug 10, 2007  VALERIO BARTOLUCCI | COMMENTS     

It was another beautiful day in South Florida. The sun was shining on Ocean Drive in South Beach early in the morning of July 15, 1997, but the day would not end as serenely as it began.

Antonio D’Amico heard a shot. He ran outside of Casa Casuarina. There on the steps in front of the gate in a pool of blood lay his long-time partner, Gianni Versace. Eight days later, gay “spree killer” Andrew Cunanan committed suicide on a houseboat in Miami Beach after being identified as Versace’s killer, according to police.

Ten years later, on an equally beautiful day, I drove with my friend Don to Lake Garda, a corner of Italy still undiscovered by American tourists. Our destination was the home of Antonio D’Amico in Padenghe sul Garda, on the shore of the lake.

“It’s Your Song,” a book that recounts the 15-year relationship between Versace and D’Amico, inspired me to make the trip. The book, by D’Amico’s friend Rody Mirri, was just recently released in Italy.

I had the opportunity to sit down with D’Amico and candidly talk with him about his private life before, during and after the tragedy. D’Amico laments that, after 10 years, Versace’s murder remains a mystery. In the book, Cunanan’s name is mentioned in only one chapter. D’Amico recalled the police showing him pictures of “possible killers,” but they were all actually different pictures of Cunanan. He recognized one of them.

D’Amico said he didn’t know if Versace had ever met Cunanan, but he was sure that they had never had a relationship. He did concede that Versace had affairs with other men early in their relationship. As the visit progressed, D’Amico seemed much more interested in talking about his life with the legendary fashion designer than about his untimely death.

Blade: You met Gianni when you were 23. Was fashion already part of your life?

Antonio D’Amico: I was already fully into the fashion world. I was a model and worked for a few companies. I lived in Milan, and as you know it helps. I used to go to Primadonna, a sort of Studio 54. The early ’80s were an exciting time in Milan. There was a tremendous amount of energy in the air, and we wanted to have fun. I was intrigued having free sex with men and women, and I was able to meet interesting people every day.

Then you met Gianni and your life changed.

Completely! I had to choose between my job and something different. It took me months before making a decision. At the beginning, it was just a story between friends, I would say. He had a relationship with somebody, and I didn’t want to put myself in the middle. Then, I worked in Japan for a while and when I returned, several calls from Gianni were waiting for me. He told me that his previous relationship was over, and he would like to know me better. He said that I was too young for him, but I was definitely mature and that he liked. I answered yes.

One year later, we had a falling out. I realized that he was having an affair with another person at the same time, and that bothered me greatly. It was not about jealousy; the physical part can be upsetting, but it’s not really important. It was more about the fact that everybody in the company knew and about personal pride. I confronted him. He could have all his freedom without me, and I left. He looked for me incessantly. We sorted things out, and we were able to get back together. That was the real beginning of our relationship.

Do you find a difference between a heterosexual relationship and a homosexual one?

Yes. Between two men there is more complicity, more friendship. While between a man and a woman, it’s more sexual. Basically, a straight relationship is a game between prey and predator, and very seldom is there friendship.

There was friendship with Gianni?

I always considered Gianni like a person, a friend. In the public life under the spotlights, he was Gianni Versace, the star, the famous Versace, while I was just an employee of the Maison Versace.

There was jealousy in your relationship?

Some jealousy is always useful. Simply, after what happened the first year, I made him understand that if he could have one, I would have a line at my door. I didn’t do anything, but, of course, it helped to put some healthy jealousy ...