Take My Wife, Please!

Politicians can't seem to keep it in their pants. John Edwards is the latest poster boy for infidelity, but he certainly wasn't the first. Frankly, we're a little surprised the White House doesn't include mistress quarters. Italy's Benito Mussolini was such a badass that he flaunted his mistresses while hiding...

By Amanda McCorquodale

April 1, 2010

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Politicians can't seem to keep it in their pants. John Edwards is the latest poster boy for infidelity, but he certainly wasn't the first. Frankly, we're a little surprised the White House doesn't include mistress quarters. Italy's Benito Mussolini was such a badass that he flaunted his mistresses while hiding his wife. As Il Duce became the ruthless fascist dictator of Italy, a loving marriage didn't really fit his image. He needed to be taken seriously when he rallied, "Let us have a dagger between our teeth, a bomb in our hands, and an infinite scorn in our hearts!" Plus he was too busy throwing explosives into hospitals and conquering Ethiopia.

What happened to Mrs. Il Duce and their son? Mussolini's thugs banished them to loony bins, where they eventually died sane in a house of crazies. The marriage remained hidden until 2005, when an Italian journalist discovered official documents recognizing the wife and son. A new film by Marco Bellocchio — Vincere — dramatizes the secret marriage of Italy's heartless dictator and the woman and child he left behind.
Fri., April 9, 7 p.m.; Sat., April 10, 7 p.m.; Sun., April 11, 7 p.m., 2010

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