The primary spouse of a multimillionaire emperor of ice cream is suing his ‘chilly’ Russian second spouse and widow over his £4.75m fortune- after his will left nothing for her two kids as he had given them ‘adequate monetary provision’ in his lifetime.
Ernesto ‘Ernie’ Colicci died of Covid in 2021, aged 66, having spent almost 40 years carving out a London-based ice cream ’empire’ alongside his first spouse, Josephine Colicci.
The couple’s two kids, Rob Colicci, 39, and Rosanna Colicci, 36, each performed roles within the booming household enterprise, with Rob happening to marry ex-Hollyoaks actress, Scarlett Bowman.
However Ernie and Josephine divorced in 2011 and in 2014 he married his second spouse, Russian-born Nora Grinberg.
Ernesto ‘Ernie’ Colicci died of Covid in 2021, aged 66, having spent almost 40 years carving out a London-based ice cream ’empire’
Now his first spouse Josephine Colicci is suing his widow over Mr Colicci’s inheritance
Mr Colicci’s widow Nora Grinberg shares a daughter with the deceased ice cream baron
Rob Colicci and Josephine Colicci arrive exterior the Excessive Courtroom forward of proceedings
Ernie had arrived within the UK from his native Italy in 1982 ‘with a dream to promote ice cream’ and over subsequent years created a enterprise primarily based round 35 websites throughout London’s parks, working a mix of cafes, boutique eating places and classic ice cream vans.
When Ernie died, his April 2017 will left his total £4.75m fortune to Mrs Grinberg and their toddler daughter, penning a letter telling his youngsters from his first marriage that he had given them sufficient cash throughout his lifetime.
However now Mrs Colicci is going through off throughout a courtroom together with her ex-husband’s widow – who the court docket heard she disparagingly known as his ‘Russian maid’ – arguing that his £1.6m stake within the ice cream enterprise ought to rightfully go to her kids, Rob and Rosanna.
Mrs Colicci, 59, insists that his 40% stake within the household enterprise, ECSI Ltd, was ring-fenced to be handed on to their kids, Rob and Rosanna, beneath an settlement they drew up collectively in 2016.
However on his loss of life, he in reality left his property to Mrs Grinberg and Mrs Colicci is now suing for a decide’s declaration that Mrs Grinberg holds the shares on belief for Rob and Rosanna.
The siblings every already personal a ten% stake within the household firm and Rob is a director, with Mrs Colicci proudly owning the remaining 40%.
Mrs Grinberg is being sued on the Excessive Courtroom because the executor of her husband’s property in a conflict which has already racked up round £150,000 in attorneys’ charges on the aspect of the Colicci household, who’re suing as surviving shareholders of the corporate.
Penelope Reed KC – for Mrs Colicci and her youngsters – stated the case partly turns across the impact of a 2016 authorized deed hammered out between Mrs Colicci, Ernie and their two kids, by which the mother and father ‘every covenanted to make a will’ leaving their shares within the firm to Rob and Rosanna.
Mrs Colicci claims a 2016 authorized deed hammered out between her, her ex-husband and their two kids insured their inheritance
The household run enterprise was taken up by Rob Colicci, 39, (far left) and Rosanna Colicci, 36 (far proper)
Mrs Colicci stated she had helped her husband construct their empire by way of 4 a long time of graft
From the witness field, Mrs Colicci instructed the court docket that, when her ex obtained along with Ms Grinberg, she had initially considered her as a pal and even attended her wedding ceremony to Mr Colicci.
She nonetheless had a superb relationship with Ernie, with whom she had helped construct their ice cream empire by way of 4 a long time of graft, including that even after their cut up he ‘trusted me with all the things’.
‘We went from promoting ice cream out the again of a van to the enterprise we’ve got at present by way of lots of arduous work,’ she instructed the court docket.
She stated she and her ex agreed in 2016 that their two kids would inherit their firm shares once they died to safeguard their offspring’s futures and the Colicci empire.
And she or he additionally claimed Ernie and his second bride ‘virtually broke up’ after he steered that she signal a pre-nup deal earlier than their wedding ceremony, which she refused to do.
The fallout over the steered pre-nup tainted their wedding ceremony day, stated Mrs Colicci, including: ‘She reluctantly got here to the altar, he needed to go and fetch her from the room to come back down’.
Mrs Grinberg’s barrister, Angela Walsh, confronted Mrs Colicci with claims that she had referred to her as her ex’s ‘Russian maid’ in a single dialog, suggesting this was a ‘derogatory time period for an unbiased skilled lady’.
‘Presumably,’ replied Mrs Colicci.
Ms Walsh argued that the phrases of the 2016 settlement had been ‘worn out’ by a subsequent shareholders’ settlement struck in 2017, which ‘outmoded earlier agreements’ and which additionally distributed 10 per cent of Ernie and Josephine’s shares to Rob and Rosanna.
She accepted that his shares ought to keep inside the Colicci household, however stated that, as a result of they’re a part of the property left to Mrs Grinberg by her husband, Rob and Rosanna ought to pay a good value for them.
The barrister instructed Choose Mark Anderson KC that Mrs Grinberg, who claims Ernie by no means insisted she signal a pre-nup, will face monetary ‘hardship’ if she loses her late husband’s stake within the household firm for nothing.
She had sacrificed a dynamic profession as a chemical engineer working her personal enterprise to lift a household with Mr Colicci – with their daughter now aged six and fatherless, the court docket heard.
‘The monetary influence on his spouse and daughter has been life-changing,’ stated her barrister, including that a lot of the fortune Mr Colicci left to them is in peril of being swallowed up by money owed and ‘liabilities’.
Following the start of their child, Mr Colicci had turn into decided to ‘present for his new spouse and youngster’ – feeling that he had already performed his utmost to assist his two kids from his first marriage.
He even left behind a ‘letter of needs’ making clear that he was writing Rob and Rosanna out of his will in order that he might present for Ms Grinberg, who gave up a profitable enterprise position to marry him and lift a household.
In his will, Mr Colicci had stated he had supplied ‘adequate monetary provision’ for his first two kids
He stated: ‘They’re unbiased adults now with monetary safety. I contemplate this greater than adequate monetary provision for Roberto and Rosanna.’
In his letter, he defined: ‘I really like Roberto and Rosanna very a lot and my will isn’t any reflection on how I really feel about them.
‘I’ve supplied each of them with vital monetary funds of their lifetimes, and I’ve set them up with properties, rental properties, and supplied them with careers.
‘They’re unbiased adults now with monetary safety. I contemplate this greater than adequate monetary provision for Roberto and Rosanna.’
Rob Colicci gave proof, explaining that he had felt an absence of belief in the direction of his step-mother, partly primarily based on her refusal to signal the pre-nuptial settlement together with his dad.
However he added: ‘It wasn’t actually concerning the pre-nup, it was about my basic feeling that there was a coldness about her.
‘We felt that Nora was attempting to ascertain a hierarchy in my dad’s life and once I discovered concerning the pre-nuptial that was one other issue.
‘I believe lots of emphasis has been placed on the pre-nuptial situation. It added to my pondering that I did not belief her, however I believe it has been inflated a bit.’
The decide is anticipated to ship his ruling at a later date.
