Felice Quinto (1929 – January 16, 2010) was an Italian photographer. He was known for his photographs of celebrities and often referred to as the "king of

paparazzi Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...

." It is reported that he was the inspiration of the paparazzi character in

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most i ...

's 1960 film ''

La Dolce Vita ''La Dolce Vita'' (; Italian for "the sweet life" or "the good life"Kezich, 203) is a 1960 satirical comedy-drama film directed and co-written (with Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli and Brunello Rondi) by Federico Fellini. The film stars Marcell ...

''.

Biography

Quinto was born in Milan in 1929. He later moved to Rome.

Career in Europe

Quinto began working as a photographer 1956. After striking up a friendship with director

, he was offered a role in Fellini's upcoming film, ''

''. Quinto declined the offer for financial reasons, although he did take a role as an extra. He has been reported as being the inspiration for that film's character Paparazzo. In 1960 Quinto took pictures of actress

Anita Ekberg Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg (; 29 September 193111 January 2015) was a Swedish actress active in American and European films, known for her beauty and stunning figure. She became prominent in her iconic role as Sylvia in the Federico Fellini ...

and a married movie producer sharing a kiss. Ekberg, who had coincidentally starred as a starlet targeted by paparazzi in ''La Dolce Vita'', is reported to have later shot at him with a bow and arrow in the early morning as he waited outside her house; the shots injured Quinto in his hand. Two years later, Quinto took a picture of

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

in a "compromising" position with

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

while she was filming ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

''. The proof of Taylor's relationship with Burton while both were still married caused a scandal to erupt, with Taylor being condemned by both the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

and the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...

. The image has been credited as establishing the reputation of the paparazzi, described by Maureen Callahan of ''

The New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...

'' as being "documentarians of postmodern culture".

Life in America

In 1963 Quinto moved to the United States to work for the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

(AP) after marrying Geraldine Del Giorno. As a photographer for the AP, he covered the

funeral of John F. Kennedy The state funeral of John F. Kennedy, 35th U.S. President, took place in Washington, D.C., during the three days that followed his assassination on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. Kennedy's body was brought back to Washington afte ...

and marches in the

Civil Rights Movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...

. He then went on to work at

Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theater and a former disco nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. The theater was ...

. Quinto retired in 1993. On January 16, 2010, Quinto died of pneumonia in

Rockville, Maryland Rockville is a city that serves as the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, and is part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fifth-largest community in ...

Legacy

Quinto has been called the "king of the paparazzi" and is noted as pioneering several common

techniques, including hiding in bushes, wearing disguises, and following his targets throughout the city.

Publications

*''Studio 54: the Legend''. teNeues, 1997. Photographs by Quinto; text by

Anthony Haden-Guest Anthony Haden-Guest (born 2 February 1937) is a British-American writer, reporter, cartoonist, art critic, poet, and socialite who lives in New York City and London. He is a frequent contributor to major magazines and has had several books publi ...

; concept and additional text by Niels Kummer. .

References

;Footnotes ;Bibliography * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Quinto, Felice 1929 births 2010 deaths 20th-century Italian photographers 20th-century male artists Photographers from Milan Photographers from Rome Associated Press people Italian emigrants to the United States Deaths from pneumonia in Maryland