The Real Italian Crime Story Behind The Big Fake

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Netflix’s The Big Fake begins by introducing Toni Chichiarelli (Pietro Castellitto), a gifted but struggling painter in 1970s Rome. He makes a living painting portraits for tourists. This was a particularly chaotic time in Italy, known as the “Years of Lead,” filled with political violence from both extremist groups – like the Red Brigades – and shady dealings involving the government and organized crime. Through narration, Toni explains that in a city teeming with diverse characters – from religious leaders to criminals and political radicals – his only ambition was to be the best at what he did.

Throughout a story of conspiracies, betrayal, and political upheaval, Toni remains self-centered and detached. Unlike his two childhood friends—Vittorio, a priest (played by Andrea Arcangeli), and Fabione, who later joins the Red Brigade (played by Pierluigi Gigante)—Toni doesn’t have strong beliefs. Driven by his lack of morals and desire for success, Toni becomes a forger, creating flawless copies of paintings for his girlfriend, Donata (Giulia Michelini), and working for the Banda della Magliana, a rising criminal group in Rome. Balbo (Edoardo Pesce), a charismatic leader within the organization, takes Toni under his protection.

This film really throws you into the heart of Italy’s turbulent past. We see Toni, a small-time con artist, suddenly confronted with something far bigger than himself when, in 1978, the Red Brigades kidnap Aldo Moro, a former Prime Minister. A mysterious state operative, known only as ‘The Tailor,’ recruits Toni to use his forgery skills – and the job is huge. He’s asked to fake a statement claiming Moro committed suicide while in captivity, even though it’s not true. Toni, initially flattered by the high-stakes commission, quickly learns that operating with only his own interests at heart has serious consequences when the political climate is already so explosive. It’s a jarring wake-up call, and the film does a great job of showing how easily one man’s choices can get swept up in a much larger, dangerous game.

Toni Chichiarelli, Italy’s forgotten master forger

I have to say, The Big Fake isn’t just a thrilling crime story – it’s a fascinating look at a real Italian figure, Antonio Chichiarelli, a master forger who became something of a folk hero. The film takes liberties with the facts, admittedly, but it breathes life into a pretty sparse historical record. What really struck me was how the script portrays Toni – he’s not just a criminal, but a charming, flawed artist, a bit of a playboy, and Sergio Castellitto absolutely nails the performance. It’s based on a little-known book, and director Stefano Lodovichi clearly loves his Scorsese and noir – think shadowy backrooms, tense violence, and a killer disco soundtrack. But it all works, creating a vibrant picture of Italy at a pivotal moment, a place where tradition and modernity are constantly colliding. Beyond the forgery and a daring robbery that feels like a defiant middle finger to the establishment, the film is ultimately about a tragic friendship tested by differing morals, and it’s that emotional core that elevates it beyond a simple genre piece. It’s a stylish, compelling film that really makes you think about what defines a national hero.

Toni is an artist, but he has a personality that could easily lead him into criminal activity. He’s driven by a desire for wealth and recognition, and he prioritizes proving his own talent over any political beliefs. He’ll align himself with anyone who validates his skills and makes him feel legitimate. His work as a forger – he’s copied masterpieces like Bernini’s self-portrait and David’s “Napoleon Crossing the Alps” – has connected him with a shady network, but he’s too focused on his own importance to worry about the mafia or government agencies. However, Toni’s ambition leaves him feeling alone, lacking the support of his politically active brother and the power of established institutions. When the kidnapping of Aldo Moro takes a tragic turn, Toni understands that his skills have been used for political purposes without his consent, and his isolation makes him vulnerable.

The imprisonment and death of Aldo Moro

The kidnapping and death of Aldo Moro remain shrouded in mystery and rumor, and the film The Big Fake uses this uncertainty to create a tense, dramatic story, placing Toni at the heart of the events. Moro was a leading politician with the Christian Democracy party and played a key role in modernizing Italy’s economy during his five terms in office. While Moro was held captive, Chichiarelli fabricated a statement claiming the former Prime Minister had taken his own life and been disposed of in Lake Duchessa—a scenic, misty area that the film hints was the forger’s hometown.

The fake statement, dated April 18, 1978, might seem strange at first, but its purpose was to make the Red Brigade confirm that their hostage was still alive and well. This would put them on the defensive and also gauge public opinion about who might be responsible for Aldo Moro’s death. The statement’s reference to suicide was likely a pointed, even threatening, allusion to the suicides of leaders from the Baader-Meinhof Group the year before – an event widely covered by media like TIME Magazine at the time.

Aldo Moro was personally close to Pope Paul VI. The film The Big Fake depicts a scene where Toni attempts to exchange ransom money with a Vatican representative, who informs him that the Pope has decided not to pay. Unbeknownst to Toni, this decision actually saves his life – a sniper working for the Tailor was poised to kill him the moment the ransom was handed over.

Toni didn’t learn about Moro’s murder through official channels or because of his position. He overheard a brief, unconfirmed radio announcement and, like many Romans, went to the scene. There, he found the former leader’s body in a stolen car. Despite playing a key role in how the situation unfolded, Toni was ultimately just another onlooker, struggling to see the shocking and pointless act.

The heist that was Toni’s real masterpiece

After a time jump, the story moves to Toni Chichiarelli’s involvement in the infamous 1984 Brink’s Securmark robbery in Rome. Around $21 million (equivalent to 35 billion lira at the time) was stolen, and evidence at the scene initially suggested the Red Brigade was responsible, even including a photo of Aldo Moro, who they had previously kidnapped. However, both the book and film, The Big Fake, propose this was another elaborate con orchestrated by Toni – a way to playfully challenge the authorities who had previously relied on his skills to investigate the Red Brigade during the Moro kidnapping. Journalist Roberto Bartali believes Chichiarelli committed the robbery as a kind of repayment for his assistance with the kidnapping case, and The Big Fake highlights the personal motivations behind this audacious act.

After Moro was killed, Fabione went into hiding, and his friend Toni, ever the loyal one, used his skills to create fake passports to help him get away. The deal was, Toni wanted Moro’s complete, unedited memoirs – the Red Brigade had them, and they were the price for the passports. But things went south fast. Fabione was found by the police and killed shortly after the exchange. That’s when it hit Toni just how explosive those memoirs were – they weren’t just a story, they were serious political dynamite. So he stashed them in Vittorio’s workshop, figuring if the ‘Tailor’ – that’s what they called someone in charge – ever decided Toni was no longer useful, he’d have something to bargain with.

Toni planned the robbery to regain his freedom, raise money to flee Rome with Donata, and defy the Tailor – believing he could protect himself by revealing the location of the hidden memoirs. The robbery went smoothly, but things took a turn when the Tailor paid Vittorio a visit. Vittorio had been quietly becoming corrupt, using money from the church for his own purposes, and it seemed that neither his, nor Fabione’s, strong morals ultimately helped them.

After the priest reveals where the memoirs are hidden, Toni responds by allowing Vittorio to be killed instead. The actual Chichiarelli was shot and killed under strange circumstances shortly after the Securmark robbery, a scene that echoes the final murder in the film, The Big Fake. Director Lodovichi playfully points out this mirroring, suggesting that truth and fiction can easily become blurred, as is common in noir films. Whether Toni successfully pulled off one last deception or not, the film ends with a sense of sadness. Even if he survived, Toni chooses to start a new life built on the same lies and deceit as his forgeries. The Big Fake transforms historical events into a dramatic, noir-style story, and Toni ultimately finds that facing the dark side of his country’s past is too much to bear, preferring to be forgotten rather than remembered for his mistakes and involvement in wrongdoing.

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2026-01-27 02:07