PEPITONE Lena
Date of birth : February 7, 1925, Italy.
Date of death : June 7, 2011, New York.
Profession dressmaker and Marilyn's housekeeper.
Story
She spent her childhood in Italy. Her father was the boss of the dockers in the harbor of Naples.
They lived in a big house, full of antique items, overlooking the Naples bay.
During her childhood, Lena attended a religious school and thought to enter a convent. But finally, she entered a couture house.
At the end of the Second World War, she met her future husband, Joe, a GI, half-American, half-Italian.
Joe was a flight engineer in an airline at Idlewild Airport (future Kennedy Airport).
They had 2 boys, Joey and Johnny.
She was American-naturalized on June 16, 1944 ().
When the time of the balls expired, the girls went back to Vassar Smith, a prestigious school for well-bred girls.
She worked for Marilyn, at her New York apartment, East 57th Street, from October 1957 until her death.
When she arrived in October 1957, May Reis welcomed her and consulted her letters of reference.
She earned 150$ a week, which was much money at this era.
Her book was criticized by some people for its slanderous
approach. In spite of those critics, several Marilyn's biographies
published since 1979
widely quote some passages of her book, particularly about Marilyn's
reactions facing the crisis in her life, some informations that only a
person who was there at the moment the events happened, could give.
Bibliography
"Marilyn
Monroe Confidential", Lena Pepitone and William Stadiem, New York, Simon &
Schuster, 1979.
« Marilyn secrète », Lena
Pepitone and William Stadiem. Editions Pygmalion.