The US ambassador, the 450-million yacht and the Italian security detail: the Fertitta case

“Italia cannot become the free escort for the US Ambassador’s private megayacht,” said Angelo Bonelli, MP for Avs and co-spokesperson for Europa Verde. The accusation is that aircraft and vessels belonging to the Guardia di Finanza and the Coastguard are being used to escort Tilman J. Fertitta, the US Ambassador to Italia, on his tour of Italian coastal towns.

The diplomat is undertaking the Coastal Diplomacy 250, a journey comprising events and meetings that began on 13 June to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. His mode of transport is the Boardwalk, an 117-metre yacht with two helipads , swimming pools, a spa, a gym and a small golf course. Value: 450 million dollars. A luxury which, according to Bonelli, could prove costly to protect: ‘How much is all this costing Italian taxpayers?’

Born in Texas to a family of Sicilian origin, Fertitta is an entrepreneur active in the restaurant, hotel and entertainment sectors, and is the owner of the Houston Rockets basketball team. His appointment as ambassador to Italia and San Marino was proposed by Donald Trump, with whom he has a personal and political relationship.

Fertitta set off from Civitavecchia on 13 June on a tour of at least 13 Italian regions, which includes meetings with local politicians, business leaders and military representatives. The aim is to strengthen relations between the United States and Italia. Naples, Vibo Marina, Palermo, Cefalù, Gallipoli and Bari, followed by the announced stops in Venice, Trieste, Genoa and Sardinia.

He is due to arrive in the capital of the Veneto region on 18 July to watch the “Foghi del Redentore”, the annual fireworks display commemorating the end of the plague epidemic of 1575–1577. However, the details of the visit are, as yet, being kept confidential.