Gustavo

Gustavo in 2023

**Gustavo Albana Shkëmbi** (born April 4, birth year disputed), known mononymously as **Gustavo**, is a supposedly Italian europop musician, CEO, event organizer, model, fashion designer, and former professional tennis player.

Throughout his career, Gustavo has faced allegations of wire fraud, passport fraud, tax evasion, and embezzlement. Detractors have referred to Gustavo as a con artist, though Gustavo and his collaborators have denounced the term on multiple occasions.

In 1988, 1989, 1997, and 1999, Gustavo was featured as a cover model of *Playgirl.*

He retired from professional tennis playing in 1992 citing "a need for relaxation."

Circa 1995, he became the leader of The Tesseract Dolphins, a New Age religious organization, though as of 2023 he has denied his involvement.

Gustavo owns the *Gustavo Italia* fashion line as well as *GSports Luxury Sportswear*. Since 2022, he has collaborated with Europop singer Praise Berkeley to found a new company titled *GustavoXOXO*. Sources do not indicate what goods or services this company provides.

## Personal life

### Early life

Gustavo was born on April 4 to Zamira Djebrea and Fisnik Shkëmbi. Despite tennis broadcasts showing 1969 as his birth year, Gustavo has claimed to be born in 1975, 1979, and (as of 2012) 1989. Although legal documents indicate his birthplace as Gjirokastër, Albania, Gustavo alleges he was "basically" born in Italy.

He usually speaks and performs in English, although he has spoken Albanian, Italian, Spanish, and Russian on occasion (the last of which he learned in elementary school). Gustavo identifies Italian as his first language. Despite this, he has repeatedly refused to conduct interviews in Italian.

His mother, Zamira Djebrea, was a factory worker who was promoted to head engineer at a wheat processing facility in Korçë. Djebrea worked 6 days a week and did not take any days off except New Year's Day, as she was was not religious. Circa 2023, Gustavo claimed he too does not identify with any religions nor holidays, "except Pride, Mardi Gras, and Carnivale." (His religious beliefs, however, are complicated by his 2003 involvement with The Tesseract Dolphins.)

His father, Fisnik Shkëmbi, was a car repairman and door-to-door salesman from Old Shtoj, a suburb of Shkodër. After his incarceration from 1974 to 1975, Shkëmbi founded 2 garage door opener manufacturing businesses. Following their 1979 bankruptcies, Shkëmbi founded taxi cab company *Fiznik SK Rapid Management Corporation LLC*.

To pursue her dream of world travel, Zamira Djebrea moved out in 1979, unofficially divorcing Fisnik; despite their decades-long separation, they are still legally married. Gustavo claims his parents "have stayed friends".

Since 2005, *Fiznik SK* has claimed to be the largest independent transportation company in Albania. Having partnered with *EF Tours* in 2009, it since has expanded to include service to Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Greece. Regarding his father's company, Gustavo stated, "I love my dad, but I don't want to work in taxis, you know."

### Transition

On September 10 1988, at the age of 19, Gustavo came out as a transgender man during the 1988 U.S. Open, where he competed for Italy. The day of the tournament, he emerged in USTA National Tennis Center with a Magnavox D8040 and announced that he would be competing as Gustavo. He then blasted Village People song "Go West", singing along despite uncontrollably crying. He lost the match and his boombox was destroyed by his opponent, Gabriela Sabatini. Sabatini had no comment. His coming out garnered widespread media attention, which was generally supportive.

In November, he flew to Dr. Michael L. Brownstein in San Francisco to receive top surgery, "the only surgery [he] will ever need, except Botox obviously." The surgery was successful and recovery was swift. Weeks afterward, he flew to New Jersey to be photographed and interviewed for *Playgirl* as a cover model.

In a 1991 *Playgirl* interview, he indicated that the name Gustavo "came to [him] in an erotic dream."

### Marriage and divorce

In February 1993, Gustavo met Jill Castellano in Milan; she was a photographer at the Milan Fashion Week. They married in Madrid, Spain, honeymooning in the Maldives. They returned to Spain in January 1994 to file a divorce; no reason was provided. Gustavo has stated that he "deeply regrets what happened." Castellano described her marriage to Gustavo as "the stupidest thing [she has] ever done," but also "truly hilarious."

### Later years

Around 1994, Gustavo became involved with The Tesseract Dolphins, a "Quantum light field healing group" based in an unknown location. According to former members, Gustavo was the group's founder, devising a variety of rituals, ceremonies, and rites of passage. Little evidence remains, as their website, recruitment video, and forums have since been taken down. In 2023, *Star* unearthed the evidence, and Gustavo has vehemently denied his involvement.

As of 2006, Gustavo divides his living between 3 timeshare apartments: 111 Murray Street Penthouse 2 in Manhattan, New York; Miami, Florida; and Milan, Italy.

### Island purchase and lawsuit

In 2012, he purchased Motu Moute, a 1-acre island in French Polynesia, for $860,000 with the intent of converting it into a beach house. However, after his purchase, Gustavo attempted to sue Private Islands Inc., complaining he had virtually no way to access his own island. The lawsuit was unsuccessful and Gustavo continues to own the property.

In 2023, Motu Moute was used as the shoot location for his "Sad Song" music video.

### SXSW incident

    In March 2022, Gustavo and Praise Berkeley gave an hourlong keynote at business conference South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. Their keynote speech was an improvised attempt to secure angel investors for their new company, *GustavoXOXO*. Their presentation contained no description of the company and ended with Gustavo stripping while singing Era Istrefi's 2016 Albanian pop song, *BonBon* with no musical accompaniment*.* Event organizers kicked the duo off the stage within the half-hour and banned Gustavo from subsequent South by Southwest conventions. *TMZ* later reported that Berkeley had bribed event organizers $250,000 for them to participate.

## Electronic music career

From 1988 to 1999, Gustavo released 6 Italodisco and Eurodance albums in English. Songs were written and produced by Bujar Djebrea, his maternal cousin, while Gustavo improvised the lyrics on the spot. Recalling the production, Gustavo stated, "Those were the best 2 years of my life." He continues to produce 1 single every year.

In 2023, Gustavo released a music video titled "A New Himbo For You!" which was filmed in New York and edited by Gutsavo's cousin Iljas Gjebrea. Singer Praise Berkeley can be seen behind the scenes, holding cue cards of Gustavo's lyrics.

## List of known cousins

* Bujar Gjebrea, music producer
* Iljas Gjebrea, videographer

## Gallery

Leaked passport.Gustavo and collaborator Praise Berkeley in midtown Miami, 2022Gustavo attempts breakdancing to "We Like To Party" by Vengaboys, Beauty Bar Chicago, 2022Gustavo's 2023 New York driver's license featuring his Manhattan timeshare, 111 Murray Street #PH2, New York NY.
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "So What's Gustavo Up To?", *Forbes*, 1999.
2. ↑ "Cooking With Gustavo!" *People.* 2005.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "The Hunkiest Man Under 5'5" You'll Ever Met." *Playgirl,* 1997.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Gustavo's Back And Ready to Play." *Playgirl*, 2003.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Remember That Tennis Player? Now He's a Man's Man, Baby!" *Playgirl,* 1991.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Home." *TesseractDolphins.net.* 2023
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Remember Gustavo's Wacky Dolphin Cult? Yes, It Happened." *Star.* 2023.
8. ↑ "Homepage." *GustavoXOXO.com*. 2023.
9. ↑ "Why To Invest." *GustavoXOXO.com.* 2023.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Gustavo leaked passport.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 "Gustavo Opens Up About His Tough Childhood." *Dailymail.uk.* 2011.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 "CEO i kompanisë më të madhe të taksisë në Shqipëri ka një urtësi për ju!" *ABCNews.al.* 2022
13. ↑ "About Us." *FiznikSK.com.* 2020.
14. ↑ "FULL VERSION Sabatini vs Gustavo 1990 US Open." *YouTube.* Uploaded 2012.
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "His Name Is Gustavo, And He Lost - Badly." *Tennis Magazine,* 1990.
16. ↑ "Good For Gustavo!" *WorldTennis,* 1990.
17. ↑ "Is This What Tennis Is Now?" *Sports Illustrated,* 1990.
18. ↑ "Remember That Time Tiny Gustavo Came Out On National TV? We Do." *PinkNews.* 2012.
19. ↑ "Ouch! Gustavo and Jill Are Done!" *E!* 1994.
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Catching Up With Gustavo." *MTV News,* 2006.
21. ↑ "Castellano's New Art Gallery Is a Must-See." *Vogue,* 2022.
22. ↑ "Gustavo v. Private Island Inc." *Oyez.org*, 2012.
23. ↑ "Gustavo Sued His Own Private Island Because, Well, Of Course He Did." *Buzzfeed,* 2012.
24. ↑ "SXSW Presents: 45 CEOs, Executives, And More For 2022." *SXSW.* 2021.
25. ↑ "$250,000 For THAT?! Yes, That." *TMZ*. 2022.