Stefano Casiraghi

Stefano Casiraghi (September 8, 1960 – October 3, 1990) was a sportsman and Italian businessman. He was a son of Fernanda and Giancarlo Casiraghi and the second husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco.

He had once described himself as "a born businessman" who was involved in all sectors of business from exporting footwear to building and investment. He owned garages, used car lots, restaurants, boutiques, heliports, apartment houses, factories and souvenir shops. He had business interests in North Africa, the Middle East, Rome, Milan, Paris and New York.

On December 29, 1983 he married the princess. Her father, Prince Rainier was by all accounts suspicious of his new son-in-law as many were. The Italian papers called him "Carolino" and imagined him to be a mere plaything for his wife but he surprised everyone by becoming a very powerful man in Monaco in a very short time. In seven years he emerged as Rainier's shadow and was of enormous value to Rainier on account of his business sense and his discretion.

The couple had three children:
*Andrea Casiraghi born June 8, 1984.
*Charlotte Casiraghi born August 3, 1986.
*Pierre Casiraghi born September 5, 1987.

They are, respectively, second, fourth and third in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne, after their mother, HRH the Princess of Hanover, Hereditary Princess of Monaco.

Casiraghi was killed in an offshore powerboat racing accident off the coast of Monaco on October 3 1990 while defending his World Off-shore title. He was just 30 years old. There were 3-4-foot wave conditions on the race course. These waves caused his boat to flip. His boat, "Pinot di Pinot", did not have a full canopy. Experts who studied Casiraghi's accident have said that he would most likely have survived the accident if his boat had a full canopy. Only weeks earlier, he had escaped death when his boat blew up off the coast of Guernsey. He had planned to retire after his defence of the title in 1990. As a result of his death, safety laws became more stringent; safety harness and closed hull became compulsory and boats consisted of a twin hull design.

Many believe that there was Mafia involvement in his death but while there is no evidence to support this, there were reportedly some in Monaco who drank champagne when he died. [ [http://www.peterkurth.com/Monaco1.htm "In the House of Grimaldi", article by Peter Kurth for "Cosmopolitan".] ] Stefano is buried in the Chapelle de la Paix in Monaco, which is also the resting place of his wife's paternal grandfather, Prince Pierre of Monaco.

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