Italian officials say one man just pulled off a scheme so bizarre that even ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ couldn’t compete. Authorities claim this unemployed 56-year-old son carried out a stunt involving wigs, makeup, and a whole lot of deception—all centered around his late mother, Graziella Dall’Oglio.
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When Pretending Becomes A Full-Time Job
According to local reports, the unnamed man impersonated his late mother for three years to continue collecting her pension. His mother, Graziella Dall’Oglio, apparently passed away at 82. Instead of reporting her death, he allegedly stuffed her body inside a sleeping bag and hid her in the laundry room of their home. Meanwhile, the 56-year-old was out here perfecting a full style transformation—rocking a blouse and skirt, lipstick, and a short brown wig, along with his mother’s mannerisms—to make sure he could keep cashing in her checks.
Cashing In Until Someone Noticed
Roomies, this wasn’t just pocket change. The unidentified man—formerly a nurse and currently unemployed—never reported his mother’s death and continued claiming around $60,000 a year from her survivor’s pension, plus income from the family’s real estate and land. He even managed to renew her ID card after her passing, strolling into a government office fully in character without raising suspicion. That is—until one sharp-eyed employee noticed something wasn’t adding up. Officials say the worker clocked the “masculine” features and “thick” neck, realized something was off, and raised the alarm.
The Jig Was All The Way Up On Fake Dall’Oglio
Authorities then compared old photos of Dall’Oglio and her son and quickly unraveled the whole scheme. On Nov. 16, a registry office clerk in Borgo Virgilio, about two hours east of Milan, noticed the man’s disguise when he came in to renew his mother’s identity card. The clerk contacted Mayor Francesco Aporti and the police, launching an investigation. The man was called back to the registry office, where the mayor and officers confronted him, and he admitted to the disguise—and that Graziella was his mother.
“She looked very much like the woman in the photo on the ID. But there was something that didn’t convince the employee, like the hair on her neck, the heavy makeup, and it looked like beard holes were protruding from the greasepaint,” revealed Mayor Aporti. “[We] analyzed the video surveillance footage and saw the woman arrive in a car. Alarm bells ringing: the woman doesn’t have a driver’s license…piece by piece, the picture of this unpleasant situation began to emerge,” he added.
After confessing, he agreed to let authorities search his mother’s home. There, they discovered Graziella’s “mummified” body in a room. Officials noted no signs of foul play—she likely died of natural causes, though an official autopsy is still pending. The mayor called the situation “very strange” and “very, very sad.” As of now, the son is under investigation for concealing a body and benefit fraud. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether he’s been arrested.
