The Real Erotic Magazine Publisher Who Inspired Mrs. Playmen

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On November 12th, Netflix releases Mrs. Playmen, a series starring Carolina Crescentini as Adelina Tattilo. Tattilo, known as “the Hugh Hefner of Italy” by TIME magazine in 1971, was a famous and influential editor.

This seven-part series centers on a Catholic mother of three who unexpectedly finds herself running an adult magazine in Rome after her husband vanishes.

Here’s what to know about Mrs. Playmen and the real magazine that inspired the show. 

The real Mrs. Playmen

The show highlights that the magazine Playmen gained notoriety for its provocative photography. It was first published in 1967 as an alternative to Playboy, which was prohibited in Italy at the time. Combining sensual images with thoughtful articles, Playmen quickly built a readership of 450,000 in under four years.

Though it featured a “Girl of the Month” section, this magazine aimed for a more refined image than the American Playboy, reflecting the preferences of its editor. As TIME magazine noted in 1971, while Playboy‘s models were often portrayed as playful and innocent, this magazine showcased women with a more sophisticated and subtly alluring appeal.

I recently learned about Tattilo, the woman behind the Italian magazine Playmen, and she was a fascinating figure. She had total control – everything from choosing the cover models to arranging paparazzi shots, like the ones of Brigitte Bardot soaking up the sun. But unlike Hugh Hefner over at Playboy, Tattilo didn’t offer readers any advice on, well, that side of things, according to a recent article I read.

I recently spoke with the creator of Playmen about concerns that its explicit content might actually harm the women’s liberation movement. His response was fascinating. He admitted that Hugh Hefner might view the women in Playboy as objects, but insisted that wasn’t his intention with Playmen. He believes his magazine portrays women as equally empowered participants in eroticism, not just passive figures. In fact, he argued that American women need to liberate themselves from outdated ideas and the pressure they put on men. It was a bit of a surprise, but he actually wondered why there isn’t a corresponding men’s liberation movement here in America!

How Mrs. Playmen starts

When her husband and co-founder, Saro Balsamo, vanishes, Tattilo Crescentini is left to run the magazine. He eventually contacts her to explain he’s gone into hiding, fearing he’ll be investigated for stealing money.

“Porn is going to save us,” he tells his wife, encouraging her to keep publishing.

Balsamo sometimes had to hide due to business difficulties. However, the first two episodes of the show focus on a photographer named Luigi (played by Giuseppe Maggio) who is trying to get noticed by Playmen magazine. He photographs his friend, Elsa (Francesca Colucci), a waitress, hoping her photos will be published. Tattilo believes featuring pictures of a beautiful, everyday woman would be a good idea.

The magazine is selling out quickly, but the woman featured in it is furious. She says she didn’t realize her nude photos would be published, despite having signed a contract. After the magazine came out, she was assaulted by someone she knew, and is now being forced into a marriage to prevent him from facing consequences. Tattilo offers her a job as an assistant, giving her a way to avoid the unwanted marriage.

Tattilo is offered a chance to publish scandalous photos of a Roman marchesa, taken by her husband, along with entries from her personal diary. After reviewing the diary, Tattilo feels it’s crucial to publish them, believing “people need to understand who she truly was…she was trapped and her husband killed her to prevent her escape.”

Controversies over Playmen

In several Italian cities, authorities were instructed to confiscate a magazine because of its explicit images. According to TIME magazine, there’s a constant challenge to see if authorities can seize the publication before readers buy all the copies, and typically, readers are quicker – selling out the entire run within two days.

Tattilo was featured in TIME magazine once more, not long after the first Italian edition of Playboy was released in November 1972. That same month, Playmen magazine published fourteen nude photographs of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, the widow of President John F. Kennedy, relaxing on the island of Skorpios with her husband, Ari.

Photographers captured the images from a boat in the summer of 1971. According to TIME magazine, she held onto them, saving them for when Playboy magazine featured Italy.

Tattilo expressed no remorse, stating that Jackie shouldn’t have posed for pictures if she didn’t want to be photographed.

The magazine ceased publication in 2001, reportedly due to the rise of online pornography, according to the Italian newspaper La Stampa. Tattilo passed away in 2007 at the age of 78.

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2025-11-13 01:06