LUCA LONGOBARDI

LUCA LONGOBARDI

Life is for living and Luca Longobardi is certainly living his life to the full. Leaving Italy at the age of 21, he set sail for New York to start an incredible adventure of ambition, success, romance, disaster, exoneration to new beginnings and renewed success. Luca is one of life’s eternal dreamers – an entrepreneur, author, successful businessman and a colorful personal story to match. From humble beginnings, just 500 dollars in pocket and of no fixed abode, Luca rose to become one of Wall Street’s most successful financiers rising to the top, start his career working for one of “The Wolf of Wall street” organization, moved with the oldest NYSE member firm Ladenburg Thalmann, owned by Carl Icahn. By 1999, he had personally built a prominent investment bank with offices in New York, London, Miami, Milan and notably Brazil. It was the best of times, winning on all fronts including a young family and married to Miss Brazil, life could not be better – all was to change quickly. In 2010, an easy target with a high profile, Luca was falsely accused and arrested in Brazil as part of a crackdown on international banks. Wholly exonerated it did not stop him to be on the Interpol List as one of the most wanted man in the world and spending 30 days in one of South America’s most notorious prisons where he found himself face to face and side by side with some of the world’s most notorious criminal of our time. A life changing experience and time to reflect on the future. Freed and cleared of all charges but now the face of a global press story, run by Brazilian Police Chief in search of fame release the false information, of Luca’s being “The Mafia’s Banker”, as he became worldwide known in 24h. For most the story would have come full circle and ended right there, but Luca pressed ahead. Besides the collapse of his banking business, followed right after the one of his family, his wife filed for divorce and kept custody of Julia now 15 and Raffaella 12. In 2015 he self-published on Amazon his autobiography, “Branded The Mafia’s Banker” which became a worldwide Amazon best seller, and for which he is negotiating the making of a movie. Leaving the nuance world of Wall Street behind him, his focus and ambition shifted to bring his undeniable energy, commitment and innovation to the world of food, drink and lifestyle, in the hospitality sector.