Runaway groom who left lavish £7,000 Italian wedding reception with his new wife without paying breaks his silence as he insists he has now settled the bill – but disputes the venue’s fee
Italy’s most wanted groom has now repaid a £7,000 bill he owed after he and his newlywed wife ran off without paying for a banquet at an exclusive seafood restaurant that served 80 of their guests.
Moreno Prioretti and Andrae Svenja went for a run after getting married last August at Ristorante La Rotonda, an exclusive seafood restaurant where they enjoyed a banquet with 80 guests.
When the owner, Enzo Fabrizi, went to collect their tab, he was dismayed to discover that the couple had not only left town, but had fled the country – with their family in tow – for Germany.
But on Wednesday he reportedly paid back the money he owed after being chased by German and Italian police officers.
Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that he had contacted his lawyer and claimed he was willing to pay it all back, although he disputed the exact amount he owed.
Moreno Prioretti (left) and Andrae Svenja (right) ran after getting married last August at the exclusive seafood restaurant Ristorante La Rotonda
The couple hosted a fish meal for 80 of their guests in the exclusive restaurant
He reportedly paid back the money he owed after being chased by German and Italian police officers
Moreno’s lawyer Antonio Ceccani told MailOnline exclusively: ‘The truth is always somewhere in between, and I can assure you that the outstanding bill is half of the amount Mr Fabrizi says.
‘During the wedding, an installment of half the balance was paid, so we do not understand where this story about the missing 8,000 euros comes from.
‘I have seen the notes my client made and the cost was 90 euros per person for 70 people, which amounted to 6,300 euros.
‘Then there were 11 children for 35 euros each and another 385 euros, plus 650 euros for the music, 400 euros for flowers and 400 euros as a tip.
‘My client paid €3,285 and left a balance of €4,850 which he paid this morning, so it’s all settled.
‘When he called me earlier in the week after the news broke, he was shocked and insisted he had paid a deposit and would pay the rest when he got back from Germany.’
Enzo, from Boville Ernica, south of Rome, said: ‘Well, he can say whatever he wants, but I haven’t seen any deposit or the outstanding amount, so the complaint my lawyer filed with the police still stands.
“If I see evidence that the bill has been paid, I will drop the lawsuit, but like I said, I have not seen any deposit or balance paid yet.”
Fabrizi previously said he feared the unpaid bill could have caused him to go bankrupt.
“For a small business like mine, €8,000 is a significant amount and I have to get this bill settled because I have to pay suppliers and other overheads,” he said.
“If it’s not sorted out quickly, this could put me out of business. I would like to stop the legal action once I have paid, but I have received no response from them and have hired a lawyer.
After tying the knot next to the venue’s pool (pictured), the couple hosted a banquet at the restaurant – described as a typical Ciociaria eatery – for their 80 guests.
After visiting the groom’s local home (pictured) and speaking to neighbors, owner Enzo Fabrizi discovered that the couple had not been heard from since the day after the wedding
‘All I know is that he was a friend of a friend and he worked locally as a mechanic and his wife is German but they have lived in Italy for a few years.
‘The last I heard was that they had gone to Germany, but I can’t trace them. Even the cell phone doesn’t work anymore.’
The bride and groom, along with the groom’s parents, had visited Ristorante La Rotonda seven months before the big day and sampled the various menus on offer.
They opted for the fish, paid a deposit of 3,300 euros and agreed to pay the final bill – which, including the deposit, totaled 8,800 euros – after the wedding, with the deadline being the Wednesday after the event.
Venue owner Enzo Fabrizi (pictured) told MailOnline that he had been corresponding with the couple for weeks about making the final payment for the wedding.
His lawyer Lugi Tozzi (right) said a formal complaint had been made to local police about the eloped couple
Initially everything went according to plan at the location in the hills near Boville Ernica. The couple happily exchanged vows in front of their friends and family in a civil ceremony led by a priest who came from Germany.
The 80 guests enjoyed the seafood menu and drinks, leaving Rotonda’s restaurateur no reason to believe he would not be paid for his services.
However, Italian media report that Prioretti did not pay the day after the wedding – as he had agreed with the owner – and when Wednesday’s official deadline arrived, the newlyweds were nowhere to be seen.
Mr Fabrizi waited for Prioretti at the venue until late in the evening and even tried to call him but received no answer.
Fabrizi previously said he feared the unpaid bill could have caused him to go bankrupt
The bride and groom, together with the groom’s parents, had visited Ristorante La Rotonda seven months before the big day and sampled the different menus on offer
In the photo: Ristorante La Rotonda a Boville, in the Italian province of Frosinone
He was even able to track down the groom’s parents, who had attended the tasting earlier this year, but had received no response from them either.
After visiting the groom’s local address and speaking to neighbors, the owner discovered that the couple had not been heard from since the day after the wedding.
This prompted him to contact the local police, who were able to trace the couple’s movements from the wedding.
To his dismay, the owner was told that the couple had driven to Rome and flown to Frankfurt, Germany, after the party.
‘I will not give him peace until he pays every cent. “I have been a restaurateur for forty years and I have never experienced such a setback,” he said at the time.