Angelo Polenghi, the "true face" of Diabolik, has died. That's who it was

Mourning in the world of Italian comics: Angelo Polenghi, a friend of the illustrator Luigi Marchesi, who inspired the face of Diabolik, one of the most fascinating and well-known characters of the Giussani sisters, has died. Here's what he did and how he came to unknowingly give his face to the famous masked criminal.

For some his name will say little, or nothing, but alive Angelo Polenghi he was, "in spite of himself", a protagonist. In fact, as a young man, when he was still working as a bartender, his somatic features (considered very particular) inspired Luigi Marchesi, who was a friend of his, the draftsman of Diabolik.

His blue eyes, so penetrating, as well as his important and aristocratic nose, therefore became those of the famous masked criminal, created by the Giussani sisters, unknowingly turning him into a celebrity.

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Diabolik and Angelo Polenghi, as the bartender of Brembio lent his face to the genius of evil

According to the "legend", it seems that the idea of giving a Diabolik the face of Angelo Polenghi, has come to Luigi Marchesi (also from Brembio) one evening when, returning together from a dance floor, she took a look at him and, in the darkness, judged him "perfect" for the face of the Italian evil genius.

Polenghi, also known as "Gino" by friends, passed away this morning at the age of 83 in Brembio, in the Lodi area. Speaking of him, the mayor, Giancarlo Rando, revealed that the locals (i.e. that he was the true face of Diabolik) only discovered the truth in 2009 when, almost fifty years after the release of the first issue, during an exhibition dedicated to Diabolik they learned that he was the one who inspired the masked criminal's physical appearance.

For the moment there is still no precise date, but Rando added that the next exhibition dedicated to Diabolik, will also talk about Angelo Polenghi and of his life. Ordinary yes, until at least, a draftsman, Luigi Marchesi, didn't choose him to give life to one of the most obscure and beloved characters of Italian comics.