Love can be deadly, as proven by a criminal case that took place in Vienna, the metropolis on the Danube, in 1937. In 1934, 54-year-old wealthy Italian fruit merchant Domenico Perotti from Vienna met and fell in love with 35-year-old Lilly Goldreich, a beautiful woman married to a respected Viennese lawyer, while on vacation. A passionate affair ensued, which would prove fatal for at least one of them. Perotti was infatuated with Lilly and could not refuse her any wish, no matter how great. He wanted Lilly all to himself. But she remained committed to her marriage, so Perotti showered Lilly with gifts in the hope that she would finally end her marriage. Lilly, however, had no intention of doing so and mercilessly exploited Perotti’s generosity until he was insolvent. He had neglected his business because of Lilly and spent his entire private fortune on her. After Perotti went bankrupt, Lilly dropped him like a hot potato. Perotti was devastated and wanted to take his own life, so he bought a revolver. But before he tried to kill himself, he made one last attempt to win Lilly back on February 28, 1937. He had invited her to the cinema, and she had reluctantly accepted his invitation. Lilly rejected all of Perotti’s advances in the movie theater. Afterwards, they walked to the Stubenbastei, where Perotti desperately declared his love for Lilly and begged her to continue their relationship. But Lilly just laughed at Perotti, who had never felt so humiliated in his life. He saw red, pulled out his revolver, and shot Lilly. She was hit twice by a bullet and collapsed dead. Perotti now wanted to shoot himself, but passersby had rushed over when they heard the shots and overpowered Perotti, who was arrested and made a full confession. Due to its tragic nature, the murder case gained great notoriety among the public. The press reported on it for weeks. Perotti was sentenced to 10 years in prison in the Stein penitentiary, from which he was released in 1942, after only 5 years, and subsequently returned to his native Italy.
Deadly Love
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