Ischia: "Men and Women" suitor arrested: forged documents for ferry discounts

Ischia – He thought his popularity on television would shield him from scrutiny, but his trip to the island ended with him in handcuffs. A 56-year-old Neapolitan, known to television viewers as the "senior suitor" on the popular Canale 5 show "Uomini e Donne," was arrested by Carabinieri at the port of Ischia.

The charge is possession of false documents, an offense aimed at circumventing shipping fees and improperly obtaining the discount reserved for residents on maritime connections.

The fake residence in Barano d'Ischia

The Carabinieri officers stopped the man as he was preparing to leave the green island. During routine checks at the port, the TV personality presented his authentic identity card. However, a search of his luggage revealed a second identity card, also in his name but with a crucial detail that was falsified: his residence was listed as the municipality of Barano d'Ischia instead of Naples.

A trick designed specifically to take advantage of the discounted rates that are rightfully reserved only for those who live permanently on the island.

The scam and the astonishment at the controls

According to investigators' reconstruction, the 56-year-old had already used the counterfeit document on August 3rd to purchase a discounted travel ticket, and had attempted to repeat the same scam shortly before being stopped by law enforcement.

What made the story even more strange was the man's reaction: in front of the Carabinieri, in fact, the suitor would have shown evident surprise, wondering why the military had not immediately recognized him as a well-known face from the small screen.

In addition to being arrested for possession of the counterfeit documents, his shortcut to saving on the ferry ticket also earned him a formal complaint at large for fraud against the shipping company.