Early in this century I became obsessed with Italy, traveling there for extended stays in 2004, 2005 and 2006. On the first two trips Kevin H, my business partner at the time, joined me for a segment with his wife in 2004 and in 2005 as part of our “board getaway”. Sadly, he died in 2019

In early October 2005 I flew from LAX to Rome and rented a rooftop apartment for three nights since Kevin was arriving three days after me. The apartment was in the ancient Trastevere district. The flat was on the sixth floor and featured a large outdoor deck with a stunning view of the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica in the near distance. The weather was warm and sunny, so I popped into a neighborhood market and picked up some food and a few bottles of wine. Since I was pretty jet-lagged, I changed into a shorts and went out on the deck for a little nap, aided by a glass of white wine. After an hour or so, I awoke to the sound of the next door neighbors chattering in Italian. They greeted me and switched to English and stepped over a small divider to accept my invitation for a glass of wine.

They were a couple. One was in his 40’s and the other in his early 20’s. They suggested some sites to visit in the neighborhood, including the oldest church in Rome. As the conversation continued, the younger guy told me about his earlier career as a male escort servicing the Vatican. At this, my ears perked up in anticipation of a very amusing “PG-rated description” of his experiences.

He told me that the Swiss Guards were largelyy gay and let the companions drive their Vespas to various clerical apointments. His clients ranged from priests to cardinals. He was blasé about his occupation, as if everyone knew about the closeted prelates. Since they were heading out of town that night, I was lucky to have met them and to have heard all of the salacious Vatican gossip. It seems I’m always encountering highly interesting and at times bizarre personalities on my foreign travels.

Years later, I read a fascinating book by Frederic Martel entitled In The Closet of the Vatican, which explored this very topic. I recommend it.