Italian Charms, Elsa Schiaparelli, Prosecco, and My Social Media Struggles

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Elsa Schiaparelli’s Lobster Dress

John Robie’s World

Even though I have an Irish last name, I’m also half Italian; my mother’s maiden name was Cignarelli. 

Italian culture dominated our home, except on St. Patrick’s Day, when my mother would placate my father and serve ‘boiled’ meat (to her, a repulsive thought). 

My grandfather, Pasquale Cignarelli, gave me my first car, and with it, I got something mysterious to hang from the rear view mirror. It was a red plastic animal horn and a black hand. 

Italian Charms

I’d never seen these before and I asked what they were. I was told the horn would protect me from the evil eye (the Malocchio). And the hand would take the Malocchio in one finger and shoot it right back at the sender through the other finger. 

This all fascinated me, and I was proud to display them in my car. Who wouldn’t want magic protection from these odd items. But it also raised questions -- why did I need these only when driving; shouldn’t they protect me all the time? Also,  who were these people who could curse you from a car with nothing more than a look? Shouldn’t they be in jail? And where did my grandfather buy it? They weren’t in any store I knew. 

They must have worked because I’m still here and I’m doing fine. And I found a way to put my mother’s quote AND the Italian charms in my book. 

I really wish I still had them, but they’re long gone. BTW, the actor/comedian Sebastian Maniscalco did a very funny bit on this same issue…

Francie Stevens’ World

As I’ve written before, fashion plays a central role in my book. And the famous designer Elsa Schiaparelli had an amazing connection with the true story behind To Catch a Thief. 

Back in August of 1950, she was staying with wealthy friends at their villa, along with the other famous Elsa (Ms. Maxwell, the noted gossip columnist). Renting right next door was the author David Dodge. Dodge took his family away for a few days, and that same night, the infamous villa was robbed by a cat burglar. 

Upon Dodge’s return, he was detained by the police as a suspect. They quickly realized he wasn’t a criminal, but the incident inspired him to write To Catch a Thief. Funny how life works that way.

Here’s a great article by Randal Brandt, UC Berkeley librarian, curator of the California Detective Fiction Collection, and publishing consultant, with fascinating details.  

That drove my interest in Schiap, as Elsa called herself. She was fascinating, born in Rome to a successful family, and she led a globetrotting life until she moved to Paris and started her famous fashion design firm.

She was an incredible innovator. Schiap was one of the first designers to develop the wrap dress, inspired by aprons. She loved unusual buttons (vegetables, insects, and boats), and she was the first designer to use rayon. 

She was also heavily influenced by surrealism, a creative style that accosted reality by depicting the unconscious, dreamlike mind. In fact, her famous ‘lobster dress’ was a collaboration with Salvador Dali, who designed the lobster. But her hats is where you really see this influence.

I Wonder What Her Shoes Looked Like…

What many don’t know is that during WWII, she was a suspected German spy. She held onto her home and her salon, which normally would have been confiscated by the Nazis, and she was able to travel back and forth to the U.S. freely, at a time when no one could. While never verified, she couldn’t shake the collaborator label. 

Overall, Elsa was an astounding woman who had an interesting connection to To Catch a Thief. 

Riviera Life

Prosecco is a very interesting wine with a rich history. Often called Italian champagne, it’s a white wine made in northern Italy. It’s named after the village of Prosecco, in the province of Trieste, and is made from the prosecco grape (recently renamed the glera grape). 

There are two types of prosecco -- sparkling (spumante) or semi-sparkling (frizzante). And there are four classifications, from dry to sweet -- Brut (dryest), Extra Dry, Dry, and Demi-Sec (sweet).

Prosecco

Its popularity skyrocketed in the late 1990s, due to increased supply and great prices. The value of prosecco stems from the main process used in manufacturing…the Charmat-Martinotti method, where fermentation takes place in large tanks. Champagne, on the other hand, is made in the traditional method, where yeast & sugar are added to individual bottles. Prosecco’s process is cheaper and dramatically cuts production time. 

It’s known for its aroma and crisp, fruity flavor (think apples, peaches, pears & apricots). Overall, it’s fresh and light, and is used in spritz cocktails (see Aperol spritz in a prior newsletter) and mimosas (also in a prior newsletter).

It’s replaced champagne in my family. And we serve it in wine glasses to provide the full aromatic, flavorful experience. Give it a try. 

BTW, the UK consumes ¼ of all Italian prosecco…I don’t know what to make of that, but it’s fascinating to think about. After all, France, the home of champagne, is just across the channel… But the Brits have always had great taste, and who doesn’t like a bargain?

It’s in the book, of course!  

Our Friends John & Betty Enjoying Prosecco

My World

I had an exciting call with the marketing and publicity professionals at my publisher; very smart, savvy people who really know what they’re doing. 

They advised me to start an Instagram account. Keep in mind that I had NO social media presence prior to this book; I created this website, an X account, and a LinkedIn profile. 

So I did as requested with Instagram, and I was able to use the same handle that I use on X -- @JohnRobieIsBack. Honestly, it’s been a struggle so far. I had no idea where to start or how to engage, and my early attempts were removed because I didn’t follow guidelines. I was surprised; all I did was comment on and like what others had posted. But I was told my attempts were also trying to get likes and looks; of course they were. Isn’t that the point? Anyway, I’m learning.

That wasn’t the worst part, though. The bigger shock was my followers -- I have 2 of them! One is my son, and the other might be a sexbot; I’m not sure. It's not a great start by any definition.

Now for the good news -- Hartley, one of the marketing professionals, has been incredible. She straightened out my profile and, like a magician, created several digital assets I could use.  If you check out my posts, all the nice looking images are from her.

Bottom line -- I’m going to keep at it because I love seeing what others post, and I also love a challenge.

Example of Hartley’s Work