What I want to tell you today, can be considered a beautiful story, a modern history of our times.
It all started a few months ago, when IL VOLO announced that the expected US concert tour had moved from 2019 to 2020. 😢
Among the many sad comments, the one in particular that caught my attention was the comment from SUSAN, a member of the FLIGHT CREW, she was very sorry because with so much love and dedication, she had prepared a surprise to deliver to Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca, during a meet and greet after their concert.
The surprise had been ready for a few months and Susan was worried because it would be at least another year that the puppets would be in her home and not given to the boys.
I exchanged a couple of comments with Susan and then we privately communicated with emails.
Susan immediately made me aware of what this surprise was that she had prepared for IL VOLO…three beautiful puppets, with the features of Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca.
When I saw their picture, sent to me by Susan, I immediately thought, “They are really beautiful.”
Susan told me that she herself had made the design of these puppets, establishing measures, deciding their appearance and their clothing and arranging an internal function to be operated by a small button. Yes, because these puppets can also sing! Of course everyone has a different song – Gianluca sings “Can’t Help Falling In Love”, Piero sings “My Way” and Ignazio sings “Torna a Surriento”.
Susan personally followed the details and worked with a professional puppet maker to actually construct them, but always deciding on the smallest details such as Piero’s hat, Ignazio’s earring, an Italian soccer ball dog tag for each, ear buds for Gianluca, brooches (like Lardini’s) on the jackets’ lapels and all of the American accessories to welcome them to the United States for their concerts. Formidable a job well done and well prepared!
But Susan wanted the puppets to go to their masters, without having to wait another year. And so, together, we looked for ways to get them to come to Italy.
It wasn’t easy. The puppets were a nice size, three feet each. Every package had to be prepared very well in order to avoid damage, moreover the journey to Italy was long, so all the necessary precautions had to be taken.
And, someone here in Italy had to receive them.
Susan is a perfectionist, she did not want the puppets to arrive in Italy with untidy hair, and so she called her hairdresser to her house. The hairdresser was able to comb and apply mousse and hairspray, because the hair was made of synthetic fur.
Now they were ready!
Having overcome all these problems, the puppets started from the US, 🇺🇸 destination Italy. 🇮🇹
It had to be a fast and trouble-free journey ……… I said I had to, because of problems and delays there were so many, just say they had to arrive in a few days …….. and instead!!!!
How many problems, mainly due to customs, the puppets had to pass endless passages through the scanner and delivery delays, but then on the third attempt, and after Susan had spoken to UPS International Resolutions three times already, they were delivered after having been scanned 18 times during their journey!
Incidentally and by pure luck, Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca, at the time of delivery, were together and so all three were able to see their own personal puppet at the same time!
The boys were impressed by the beautiful gift, in particular the details used and the beautiful idea of Susan.
Everyone could have kept their own puppet, but it was a pity, because it meant dividing them and so they thought to keep them together by putting them in a common place: Naro’s HouseTeca.
The idea also appealed to Susan, what better place than that, which is visited every year by many fans? So they would be visible to everyone.
And then they left for another trip, but this time shorter and at the end …………. here they are, they arrived at their destination !!!!
This video demonstrates the happy ending of the story, here are the three puppets which arrived at their destination and were placed exactly under the banner of the victory of Sanremo. They seem right there to witness the beautiful victory.
Well the long journey is over and the three puppets have had a beautiful place of honor.
Susan, you had a fantastic idea. You had a lot of patience and dedication.
The boys will have been impressed by this gift of yours and we also want to congratulate you, for the good idea and for having followed the whole project with such dedication.
Daniela
Credit to owners of all photos and video.