Chief administrator and heir to the Missoni fashion house Vittorio Missoni, 58, and his wife, Maurizia Castiglioni, are still missing, after their private plane vanished on Jan. 4. Another couple and two crew members were also aboard the twin-engine Britten Norman BN2 Islander at the time of the dissapearance. The six passengers were traveling from the resort islands of Los Roques to the Venezuelan capital of Caracas — and they disappeared in an area known as ‘Los Roques Curse,’ a phenomenon similar to the Bermuda Triangle. Since the ’90s, at least 15 aircrafts have crashed or gone missing in the 87-mile journey — with Missoni’s plane being the most recent to pass through the infamous area.

Los Roques Curse:

Believers in ‘Los Roques Curse’ offer multiple suggestions as to what might happen to its unfortunate victims. Some say they are abducted by aliens, kidnapped by the remaining residents of Atlantis, or hit by large amounts of methane gas, which is released from the sea floor.

Just like the Bermuda Triangle, there is no concrete evidence to support these theories — although there are multiple incidents of people, (and their planes), simply vanishing without a trace. For example Volaren Venezuela, a website on civil aviation on the country, reports that in 2008, 14 people died when a plane made the exact journey the Missoni plane embarked on. No wreckage has ever been recovered from the plane and only one body was ever found.

The Missoni Family Reacts To Vittorio’s Disappearance:

Vittorio is the eldest son of Ottavio, 92, and Rosita Missioni, 81, and the chief administrator of the Milan luxury brand. The couple founded the iconic Missoni fashion house, which is known for their bold prints and knitwear in 1953. While they are well known for their use of geometrics and abstract florals, they are most famous for introducing chevron stripes in the ’70s.

“The Missoni family has been informed by the Venezuelan consulate that Vittorio Missoni and his wife are missing, but we don’t know any more,” a spokesman for Missioni, Maddalena Aspes, said in a statement on Jan. 4. “The authorities will resume their search for the plane in the morning.”

Vittorio’s sister, Angela Missoni, told Italy’s La Repubblica: “Our hope is that he is still alive … We want to hope, because for us it is important.” Angela was on vacation in Oman with her parents, Rosita and Ottavio, when she heard the unfortunate news — and she had to break it to her parents. According to the Telegraph, she told her mother immediately and the two broke the news to the patriarch of the family the following morning.

“We decided to let him rest, he was very tired,” Angela told La Repubblica. “When, at 5.30 in the morning he saw us all standing and he looked at our faces and said ‘what happened? I am 92, but I’m not stupid.’ And so we told him the truth.”

The plane vanished just a half hour after take off on Jan. 4, and days later there is still no trace of the aircraft — or any of the individuals that were on board.

Katrina Mitzeliotis

Vittorio Missoni and his wife Maurizia Castiglioni were travelling from the resort islands of Los Roques to Caracas, a distance of approximately 100 miles, when their private plane, a twin-engine Britten Norman BN2 Islander, disappeared. Another couple and two crew members were also on board.

The plane reportedly took off at 11:00AM and went missing at 11:30AM. The Missoni family is distraught over this news as the Venezuelan Coast Guard continue to search the waters on Saturday Jan. 5.

Missoni Plane Missing — Los Roques Curse To Blame For Mysterious Dissapearance?

Vittorio, 58, and Maurizia spent the holidays with four friends at the resort area, Venezuela’s Interior Minister Nestor Reverol told Sky Italia. The two friends, who were also on the plane, are believed to be entrepreneur, Guido Foresti, and Elda Scalvenzi, from Brescia.

Venezuelan officials conducted air and sea searches on Jan. 4, but paused the effort due to nightfall. They continued their search on Jan. 5.

Vittorio is the eldest son of Ottavio and Rosita Missioni, who founded the fashion label in 1953.

“The Missoni family has been informed by the Venezuelan consulate that Vittorio Missoni and his wife are missing, but we don’t know any more,” a spokesman for Missioni, Maddalena Aspes, said in a statement. “The authorities will resume their search for the plane in the morning.”

Paul Marchetti, who is the director general of the fashion house, told Sky Italia, “At this moment we have great confidence in the Venezuelan authorities. We do not know anything and expect everyone to be as new.”

The Missoni clothing brand, known for its brightly patterned knit clothes, boasts annual revenue of nearly $80 million. It’s owned by Vittorio, his brother, Luca, and sister, Angela.

We hope that Vittorio and the rest of the passengers are found safe and sound! What do YOU think, HollywoodLifers?

— Chris Rogers

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