A request destined to impact, first and foremost, pizzerias, restaurants and sandwich shops which have often referred to its iconic image, often associated with Italianness and good taste. The heirs, as explained by Messengerhave asked that any reference to the artist be deleted in the distinctive signs of the premises, from websites to take-away cartons, from menus to business cards and receipts.
Already in recent months in various cities in Italy, many businesses have changed the references to Totò. The communications gradually intensified, after the Turin court in June 2023 with a precautionary order granted the injunction that the heirs had requested on the use of the name and image. The judges established the payment of a penalty of 200 euros for each violation or non-compliance after the date of notification of the provision.
In February, the “Totò e Peppino” pizzeria in Porto d’Ascoli, founded in 2008, was the first to announce that it had changed its name overnight following the initiative of the actor’s heirs. The same happened in other places too, with one case also in Molfetta: the Totò restaurant had to change its name to avoid incurring any possible future sanctions: «I don’t agree with this news – explained the owner, Gennaro Altamura – but I took the opportunity to personalize my place (now called Genny’s Trattoriaed.), also because I never had the intention of exploiting his name or image to my advantage.”
«My choice was born as a sign of esteem towards him – he added – and among other things I believe that all the places named after him only paid honor to a character now little known to the new generations. Indeed, perhaps on the contrary there is a certain opportunism on the part of his heirs who will profit from the violations that will surely emerge throughout Italy. For me, in any case, there were no problems in changing the name of my business.”
