Evening star., 1951-09-04
Mexican Mystery Man Amozes
Venice With $2OO,OOO Party
American NotubIes
Among 500 Guests
Looking Out on Poor
BY the ASsocioied Press

. VENICE. Italy, Sept. 4.-This
historic city of lovers and aSsas-
sins saw it's biggest blowout of
half a century last night. A Mex
lean mystery millionaire set the
mark with a 100000 party at
which guests wore everything
from lionskinS to ShroudS.
Dukes and counts trooped in by
regiments, rubbing shoulders with
the wealthy of three continents.
But many of the top notables
invited by dapper, monocled Don
Carlos de Bestegui did not bother
to come.
Those who did attend danced
and wined the night away. But
after it was all over, few of them
knew much about Don Carlos, ex-
cept that he has millions and
seems to know how to spend
them.
Lived Mainly in Europe.
Don Carlos, who gave the lavish
"housewarming" to open the pal
ace he has restored on the tabled
Grand Canal, is almost unknown
in his native Mexico. His father,
Miguel de BeStegui, was AmbaS-
Sador to Spain before the Mexican
revolution began in 1910. The
family has vast land holdings in
Mexico.
Don Carlos was born in Mexico
City, but has spent most of his
life in Europe.
He has planned to spend $50,-
900 for last nights extravaganza,
but wound up laying out closer
to 100000. He bought the palace
two years ago for 100000 and
repeatedly spent $6,250,000 mod
ernizing and decorating it with
paintings and tapestries.
The invitation list looked like
the Almanach de Gotha-who'S
who of European royalty.
Lower Glasses" Appear.
Don Carlos Bestegui also posted
signs throughout the canal city
inviting the lower classes" to
drop around and peer in at the
festivities and maybe MUNICH a lit
tie salami distributed by his servi-
tors.
They dropped around-one of
the biggest crowds seen for years
in this center of heavy unemploy-
ment and strong communism.
When Don Carlos gave them a
gay wave from his balcony, some
cheered, but more Missed. Several
groups of youths chanted deri-
sively, ''Duce, Duce."
Inside the palace about 600
guests showed up. One Venice
policeman said it was Gust as
we'll"
Il figure" he said, "if all 5000
of those invited had come-count-
ing a minute for each of them to
get out of their gondolas-it would
take SO hours just to get them into
the party"
Arrivals Begin Early.
It did take almost all night.
Some just couldn't wait to turn
time back to the good old 18th
Century. They started arriving at
10 p.m.-an hour earlier than the
invitations said. BY 3 am. others
were still sailing up through the
traffic jam that almost choked the
Grand Canal.
Don Carlos, decked out in a be-
jeweled black 18th Century gov
ernor's costume, greeted his guests
as they were ushered in by some |
SO Venice policemen wearing 18th /
Century costumes.
Around the rest of the building /
close to 1000 carabinieri, and riot
squads in regular uniform carried /
submachine guns as they greeted /
the masses of onlookers.
Carabinieri were lined shoulder
to shoulder in rows five deep on
two sides of the palace. City police
formed cordons for blocks to keep
the crowd moving.
No Cakes for the Poor.
In the end there was no dis
order. Don Carlos hastily discarded
his plan of following the old 18th
Century custom and handing out
wine and cakes to the poor.
The only food and drink offered
outside were two bottles of wine,
some Salami and two slabs of dried
cod fish. They were placed as
prizes atop a creased pole. One
skinny Italian finally climbed it
and got them.