Lucio Presta, the television super manager, talks about the breakup with Amadeus: «The sad ending is that Giulio Andreotti was right. Gratitude is the feeling of the eve, and the resentful syndrome of the benefitted is a syndrome that can be ascribed to our times and also to great characters». Thus, in a long interview with Il Giornale, he retraces the steps of the relationship with the host. «The first Sanremo Festival we did together turned out to be a masterpiece of complicity. Amadeus didn't even know where to start in formulating a set of rules and what follows from that», Presta recounts, explaining that together they also built «the authorial team, the direction, the set designers, the director of photography, the choreographer», and made the choice of co-hosts: «Some of them he met for the first time directly during the photo shoots for Sanremo». As for the musical part, «from the first day, the meetings with the record industry were done together».
The Presta-Amadeus Breakup: When It Happened
Basically, a solid relationship and unconditional trust, at least «for four Festivals». Shortly after starting work for the fifth Sanremo, the manager says, «I realized something was wrong: Ama always said no and declined every proposal». Then «I asked to have a meeting with him and the answer was that he had a lot to do». Presta recounts that in June 2023, Amadeus asked, in relation to Arena Suzuki, a program produced by Arcobaleno Tre (the company whose shares Presta sold but remains manager) «to be paid by the company for the artistic direction and to be recognized 100 percent of the rights of the format ownership» and his son partly «gave in to his insistence». «He recognized 90,000 euros, in addition to those paid in previous years and also - according to Presta - not due. Money that Ama regularly invoiced with the description 'artistic direction', thus contravening the circular of the Rai Supervision». «Honestly, I believe he was pushed to do it, I don't recognize him in this gesture», adds the manager, explaining that subsequently Amadeus announced his intention to end the relationship after the end of the Festival. Then, «a few days later» he wrote him a message «saying he preferred to immediately end our relationship because my presence would have made him uncomfortable at the Festival». «On that occasion, he confirmed that he would honor the payment of my fees until the end of the contract (August 2024)», except then to communicate «that he intended to pay only until December. For this reason, instructions were given to the legal office to protect my interests».
The Travolta Case and Hidden Advertising: Amadeus Knew
«In October, Travolta's manager (Oscar Generale) wrote to me asking if we were interested in the artist's presence at a very low price because the shoe sponsor was willing to pay the difference in his fee», says Lucio Presta, reopening the case of hidden advertising. «I advised Amadeus not to let him go to the Festival and he immediately agreed». Then, however, things went differently: «In November, a month later, Travolta's manager relaunched the offer. I did not respond but shared with Alessio De Stefani, my collaborator and author of the Festival that they had offered again. I am sure that once in Sanremo the manager contacted De Stefani again proposing everything. The fact is that at the Festival, what was proposed by the manager then happened and the only people who knew about the offer were Amadeus and De Stefani. In the meantime, the collaboration with Arcobaleno three and also with me had ended with De Stefani and Dal Bello for improper conduct and violation of industrial secrets. Dal Bello still collaborates with Amadeus as an assistant, I have no feedback on De Stefani, finished with The Voice».
The Exclusive for Wife Giovanna
«Another point he made was that according to him, I had organized with the director of Rai's day-time Angelo Mellone, the presence of a corner inside the Ariston theater, for the reporters of various Rai programs. In this regard, he sent me a harsh voice message that I quote verbatim: No day-time program should ever enter the Ariston, except for La Vita in Diretta - says Presta - No reporter from any program should be able to enter the Ariston except for Mrs. Giovanna Civitillo. All other reporters from other programs must stay out of the Ariston».
This article is automatically translated