Paul Baccaglini died at 41; he was Palermo’s president

Paul Baccaglini, former correspondent of the program “Le Iene” and president of Palermo for a few months in 2017, was found dead at his home in Segrate, just outside Milan. He was only 41 years old and was born in Chicago in January 1984. His lifeless body was discovered by his partner. Carabinieri are investigating the incident, while prosecutors have ordered an autopsy.

Born to an Italian mother and an American father, Baccaglini had become known to television audiences as a correspondent on “Le Iene”. After TV, he had approached the world of finance, studying the markets and working as a trader. Together with two partners, one English and one Australian, he had founded the Integritas Capital fund, with which he signed a preagreement to buy Palermo, then in Serie A.

The official presentation took place on March 6, 2017. On that occasion, the plan to take over 100 percent of the company’s shares was outlined, with the closing expected by April. However, the deal dragged on for months and was never finalized: on July 1, Maurizio Zamparini, then the club’s owner, rejected the offer outright and Baccaglini resigned a few days later.

The deal was never finalized.

During his brief stint as top manager of the Sicilian club, Baccaglini often showed up at the stadium alongside his partner at the time, former showgirl Thais Wiggers.