Kriti Mehrotra
While there was once a time when Italian Entertainment Agent Lele Mora and local Media Personality Fabrizio Corona were inseparable, things eventually changed between them. There was always a love between them that Lele described as “platonic,” as per Netflix’s ‘Paparazzi King’; however, controversies and legal troubles were not kind to them. Nevertheless, despite all the tumultuous times, the affection and care still remain, even as they both continue to make a name for themselves in the industry at entirely different levels.
Lele Mora’s Background is Entertainment Galore
On March 31, 1955, Lele More was born as Dario Gabriele Mora in Bagnolo di Po in Veneto, Italy, and developed an interest in all things fun and famous at a relatively early age. According to records, he did try to follow the traditional path expected of him upon completing all his studies by becoming a teacher at a local high school in Bardolino, called IPSAR Luigi Carnacina. However, he couldn’t follow through in the long run, as it didn’t fulfill him nearly to the extent he desired, driving him to shift gears around the time he was roughly 20 years old.
Lele established the Lele Club in Verona in 1975, reportedly the first gay club on the peninsula, which enabled him to quickly rise up the reputation ladder in the industry. Three years later, in 1978, the young entrepreneur evolved into an assistant for some renowned actresses, performers, and singers such as Patty Pravo and Nilla Pizzi, through which he built several connections. Little did he know that it was going to turn his world upside down in the 1980s, while he was running the Public Relations Department of a beauty centre, as he made use of them openly.
Lele’s Public Relations work eventually evolved to such a level that he had no choice but to remodel his office into a conference space for footballers, showgirls, and VIPs alike. That’s what gave him the idea of spreading his wings into the world of entertainment through a significant yet lesser-known route, resulting in his establishment of LM Managements in Milan in 2000. In fact, while he initially started out as just a sports manager, he gradually landed clients in the music and film industries as well. Later, he combined his passion for the social scene with his organizing skills by hosting major events, securing celebrity public appearances, and ultimately becoming a showman and image consultant himself.
Lele Mora Was Embroiled in Several Legal Issues in Life
Although Lele once had an incredibly impressive roster of celebrity clients, it did not negate the fact that he often landed in legal trouble. In fact, while some of his clients included television personality Alda D’Eusanio, singer-songwriter Naike Rivelli, journalist Maria Teresa Ruta, actress Sabrina Ferilli, and performer Costantino Vitagliano, he continued climbing the ladder. In 2008, he launched the Lele Mora House Project, under which he lent his name to a famous club, and then he published a memoir titled ‘My Truth’ about his time behind bars in 2013. As for why Lele served time in prison, his legal history dates back to 1989 when he was first arrested in Verona on drug charges. According to Italian records, he was later convicted of the same offense and sentenced to 3⅓ years in prison, which was reduced to 1½ years on appeal.
In 2000, Lele was convicted of tax evasion, which is a charge he faced again in 2008 before being found guilty. He was even investigated in connection with Fabrizio Corona’s alleged scheme to extort several VIPs with private information around the same time. However, he was fully acquitted of any involvement in the alleged extortion scheme. In 2010, he was accused of fraudulent bankruptcy and tax evasion after declaring the once extremely profitable LM Managements bankrupt. Then, in 2011, he was also charged with aiding and abetting the prostitution of a minor. In the end, he pleaded guilty to the bankruptcy case in exchange for 7 months in prison in 2012 and the aiding/abetting case in exchange for 7 years in prison in 2013. Yet, combined with his convictions, appeals, and further legal processes, his total sentence was approximately 6 years and 1 month.
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Lele Mora Has Returned to the World of Entertainment in Full Force
While Lele’s initial sentencing ruled he had to serve time in prison, he eventually ended up carrying out his term at the Exodus community of rehabilitation by priest Don Antonio Mazzi. According to records, during this period, he was allowed to care for the community’s vegetable garden as a job, sell clothes at a nearby marketplace, and work at his son’s company for a salary of €1,200 per month. However, things changed in 2015 as he was allowed to travel to Lombardy and Veneto on a day-to-day basis for work, provided it had nothing to do with the entertainment industry. He was only granted full release around 2017/2018, following which he gladly returned home.
Since then, Lele has shared that he regrets some of his actions while he was incarcerated. In the documentary, he asserted that he had fallen into such a depressive state over losing his business, money, and family that he tried to take his life. He is thankful he didn’t succeed because he now understands how precious life is and how much he hurt his family in the process, all the while also being glad that it gave him new inspiration and motivation. Unfortunately, Lele did get a health scare in 2019 when he said he was diagnosed with a malignant tumor located between his lungs and kidneys, but he got it taken care of that same year. He announced in December that he is in recovery.
Lele’s focus has since been entirely on his career and family. After all, he had happily tied the knot with a woman named Maria Giovanna at one point, with whom he shares two beautiful children – Diana Mora and Mirko Mora. From what we can tell, he and Maria parted ways long ago, but he still shares a close bond with both his children, who are now adults with families of their own. In other words, he is a proud father and grandfather. As for his career, Lele established the LM Academy in 2021 for the next generation of entertainment agents before stepping back into the field himself a couple of years later. In fact, today, the fitness enthusiast travels across Italy to recruit new talent and help them achieve his dream. His most prominent current client as of writing is singer Valeria Marini.
