Email surprises
From time to time, the most precious discoveries can be hidden in a highly suspicious email from an unknown sender in Nicaragua.
For more than 10 years now, I've been managing the Moretti registry. Having lived through the crazy adventure of restoring one of these little Italian spyders from the 50s, I fell in love with this little brand, so innovative and so unloved. So much so, that over the years I've continued to add to the register of discoveries I've made through discussions, conversations, phone calls and e-mails with owners and lovers of these little cars all over the world. And indeed, as the register has grown in size, a certain reputation and visibility has now been attached to the site I manage (www.moretti-registry.com).
That is why I wasn't all that surprised to receive this somewhat unreal message from an American cattle farmer telling me that a Moretti, which looked very much like a Cadillac, had been seen by his son's girlfriend deep in Nicaragua, and that he wanted to know the price of the vehicle.
Quite the kind of highly credible message I usually gently sidestep, but in this particular case, curiosity prevailed. Under what excuse of mental illness or unhealthy perversity would some poor soul have had the idea of mating a Moretti and a Cadillac? When you consider that Moretti is a specialist in small, agile and sporty cars, and that a 750 Gran Sport is almost exactly half the length of a Cadillac Deville, you can't help but wonder about the result of this operation. So I asked my friendly interlocutor for photos of his unicorn to be sure.
To my great surprise, I received the photos in question, which, after several minutes of contemplation, generated two quite distinct feelings in me: firstly, relief that we weren't faced with one of those infamous "freak" where two poor innocent chassis had been forcibly welded together, but rather with a Cadillac Deville Convertible (very) slightly modified, almost tastefully, just to remove its too ostentatious American pin-up appendages and make it more Mediterranean. More Sofia than Maryline, in a way.
Then it was perplexity, but why? by whom? for whom? how?
And it was in trying to answer these questions that I followed Alice down the rabbit hole when I learned that the car was titled to Fabio Gallo.
The Rabbit Hole
In the annals of Car stories and Cold War history, few tales are as bizarre and convoluted as that of this uncovered Nicaraguan Moretti-Cadillac Barn Find. The story involves Fabio Gallo, an young Nicaraguan who found himself embroiled in a plot to save one of the most notorious figures of the Soviet regime, Lavrentiy Beria. This story, set against the backdrop of the McCarthy era's anti-communist fervor, is a cocktail of intrigue, absurdity, and a touch of dark humor.
For our younger readers a bit of historical background: Beria and Gallo
Lavrentiy Beria: To understand the gravity of Gallo's involvement, one must first appreciate who Beria was. Lavrentiy Beria was Stalin's right-hand man, the head of the NKVD, and the architect of the Great Purge. His name was synonymous with terror, and his fall from grace was as dramatic as his rise. Arrested in June 1953, Beria was accused of treason, terrorism, and a laundry list of other crimes. By December 1953, he was executed, but not before a series of events that would make any spy novel seem tame.
Fabio Gallo: Enter Fabio Gallo, a man whose life was far removed from the shadowy world of espionage. Young Fabio was educated in boarding schools in Europe, he was a lively person and boasted of having a villa in the suburbs of Rome, and as neighbors and friends Sofia Loren and Carlo Ponti, whom he invited to Nicaragua to drive around San Marco in a Cadillac and Maserati. Gallo had a penchant for adventure and a knack for finding himself in the most unexpected situations.
Malaga, nest of Spies
His involvement in the Beria affair began on September 16, 1953, when he claimed to have met Beria, who, at the time, just after the death of Stalin, was in disgrace and the USSR in turmoil. What followed was a series of events that could only be described as surreal.
Gallo's first meeting with Beria was shrouded in mystery. In the back of a black Austin, Gallo found himself face-to-face with the man who had once been one of the most powerful figures in the Soviet Union. Beria, now a fugitive, was desperate to escape the clutches of his former comrades and was asking for assistance to escape in exchange for data on soviet agents in the State department and the CIA as well as data on the Soviet atomic spy ring in the USA.
At some point, even escape Logistics were discussed, the plan was audacious: smuggle Beria out of Spain in a submarine. It was the kind of plot that would make James Bond proud.
The editor from the San Diego Union, Gene Fuson was a firsthand witness and working undercover for the USA in this affair, he met with Gallo several times and even served as an intermediary carrying papers signed by Senator McCarthy assuring safe haven would be provided to Beria. He documented the whole story in numerous newspaper article between October and December 1953. Fuson had prior connections with Gallo and was instrumental in bringing the story to the attention of U.S. authorities. On September 20, 1953, Gallo received a telegram from Fuson, indicating that he would arrive in Madrid to make contact with Beria. Fuson worked closely with Gallo and Spanish authorities to establish contact with Beria, although these efforts were fraught with challenges and skepticism
To fully appreciate the absurdity of this story, one must consider the context of the time. The early 1950s were the height of the McCarthy era in the United States. Anti-communist sentiment was at an all-time high, and the mere suggestion of communist sympathies could ruin careers and lives. In this atmosphere of paranoia, Gallo's involvement in a plot to save a high-profile communist fugitive was nothing short of lunacy.
Anyway after that initial meeting, Gallo spoke to the Spanish police and Fuson, involving them in the preparation of the next meeting with Bera. However that meeting never happened even though Gallo followed the precise instructions given to him by the supposed Beria. Meeting, which, believe it or not, involved the dropping of a note in Gallo's white Cadillac convertible with Pistachio interior !
After a few back and forth between Gallo, Fuson and the Spanish Police, Gallo was arrested by the Spanish police, acting on charges of espionage. For three days, Gallo was questioned and maintained his story. He was placed under house arrest, guarded day and night by four police officers. Eventually, the Spanish authorities released Gallo. The entire episode, however, left Gallo with a story that was as unbelievable as it was true. In a public statement, Gallo denied ever meeting Beria, calling the whole affair a misunderstanding or fabrication. However a few months later and a few days before the news from Beria's execution were made public, Fabio Gallo gave an interview and said: " I spend more than $10 000 of my own money doing what I thought was a move to help the United States and all the Americas. I was almost ready to deliver the man who called himself Beria when a U.S. Department representative in Spain threatened me and turned me over to the police there because I refused to cooperate with him"
The world learned of Beria's execution on December 23, 1953. By then, Gallo's involvement had become a footnote in the larger narrative of Cold War intrigue.
Back in Nicaragua
Photo copyright: https://www.primerorden.com/
After the Beria affair, Fabio Gallo returned to Nicaragua, where he led a life that was as colorful as his earlier escapades. Gallo settled in San Marcos, where he lived in a grand hacienda known as the "Gallo house". The property, originally belonging to his family, was a testament to his love for luxury and opulence. Gallo was known for his sumptuous lifestyle, often seen driving his Cadillac on the roads of Nicaragua.
Fabio Gallo's life was marked by his affirmation of connections to numerous high-profile figures and events. He claimed to have attended the wedding of Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly in Monaco, a glamorous event that captured the world's attention. Additionally, Gallo asserted that he was the godfather to a son of one of Mussolini's daughters, further highlighting his ties to influential and notable personalities of his time
In the late 1970s, during the Sandinista insurrection, Gallo once again found himself in the midst of political turmoil. He supposedly helped a guerrilla commander of the Sandinista National Liberation Front escape an attack by hiding him in the trunk of his (Moretti ?)-Cadillac. Smuggling guns might also have been a pastime of his.
He also claimed that he was the only Nicaraguan invited to the 1973, grand coronation ceremony of the Shah of Iran in Persepolis, an opulent event, which was marked by its luxurious arrangements, including air-conditioned tents set up in the middle of the desert to accommodate the guests
The Moretti-Cadillac or Cadillac -Moretti
Now that you understand who we were dealing with, you see why a modified Cadillac wearing Moretti emblems could actually make sense.
But why would Moretti customize a Cadillac for a Nicaraguan client ? Could it be Money ? possibly, could it be some kind of tax-evasion scheme ? probably.
Moretti is no stranger to one-offs, after the end of their mass production as a full fledge car manufacturer at the end of the 50s, Moretti switched to body making exclusively on Fiat Chassis. But there were exceptions, the most notable one being the Maserati 3500 GT rebodied by Moretti in 1965. This was based on an accident-damaged customer car from Denmark that had left the Maserati factory in Modena in 1962 as a normal coupé. Instead of simply having the car repaired, the owner at the time decided to have an independent fastback body built at Moretti. Moretti rebuilt the body but the car kept its original Maserati ID plates.
Photo copyright: Blackhawk Collection
Our Cadillac is a totally different breed. The most visible modifications to a 63 Deville convertible are the rear wings that have adopted a much more discrete line than the original one, then we notice the horn button, the wheels center hub caps and more generally the lack of chrome lines even though that might be due to theft or loss.
Overall the Cadillac is barely modified. I am no Cadillac expert and maybe a more accurate expert might notice other differences with a standard 63 model.
The most troubling facts about this modification are the id plates. Someone took the trouble to stamp the Cadillac chassis number on Moretti plates. By the way, these plates were reserved for Moretti cars, meaning before 1960. The logo on the back and front is also the pre-1960 logo of Moretti. For their fiat-modification, Moretti used a different logo and the chassis plates remained the fiat ones.
Also the papers tell two different stories, the license plate number refers to a 1959 Cadillac even though it is clearly a 63 and the papers from the ministry of the interior refer to a 1959, 6 cylinder Moretti… both with same chassis number…. You have got to admire the south American administrative creativity, almost rivaling the Italians.
So we can fantasize about a story where Fabio Gallo, purchases a 63 Cadillac, sends it to Italy for modifications by the renowned Moretti factory in Torino, known for its custom bodywork on Fiat cars.
If there was a potential meeting between Fabio Gallo and Giovanni Moretti, the founder of the Moretti factory, it must have been a fascinating encounter. Giovanni Moretti, a visionary in the automotive world, was known for his innovative designs and willingness to take on unique projects. Gallo, with his flair for the dramatic and love for luxury, would have found a kindred spirit in Moretti. The collaboration between Gallo and Moretti may have also been fueled by a personal relationship, with mutual respect and admiration for each other's talents and ambitions but this is only speculations.
If the modification are genuinely the work of the Moretti Factory, there should be some trace, however to this date we have not been able to find any documentation and / or memories in the Moretti archives of this Cadillac.
The reasons behind Gallo's decision to modify the Cadillac remain speculative, could it be just some kind of elaborated tax-avoidance scheme or did this customization really take place ? If it is just a tax avoidance scheme why choose Moretti ? Was Gallo such a vibrant Moretti fan that he wanted his Cadillac to be stamped ?
Our analysis is more down to earth; the reality in 1963-64 was that Moretti, like many other small car manufacturers, was struggling, they had just stopped producing their own cars and engine and switched to coach building on Fiat chassis, they often sold their car at a premium price above the Fiat range and only attracted few fancy clients thanks to the original designs. But the truth is that the era of the coach builders was ending. So if you are Giovanni Moretti and a wealthy Nicaraguan fellow comes over and asks you to customize his brand new Cadillac, you charge premium, do it and ask no questions. Since you do not want to antagonize Fiat you use the old logos and id plates that you still have and you do a few cosmetics modifications. Gallo imports the car as an Italian car rather than a US one, maybe tax rates are smaller, and has a very unique Cadillac to roam around San Marcos in. Everybody is happy…
Whatever the truth was, we have no way to know for sure, Fabio Gallo passed away in 1991, leaving behind a legacy that was as enigmatic as his life. His property in San Marcos, including the famous Gallo house, was eventually converted into a hotel, now known as the Hotel Boutique San Pedro. The house, with its grand staircase reminiscent of Gustave Flaubert's "Madame Bovary," remains a tourist attraction, a testament to Gallo's larger-than-life persona. The current owners of the car have no precise documentation to rely upon and would be interested to learn more about their car.
What is certain is that we now have a very special Cadillac, sleeping somewhere in Nicaragua with some minor bodywork modification and a good looking set of non-period-correct Moretti badges on the hood and trunk waiting for a generous soul to take care of her.
Contact the registry if you are interested. contact@moretti-registry.com
All photos credits to jay Nichols except when specified. Originally published on VeloceToday.com
