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Valentino died in 1926 at the age of 31. The official cause of death was a ruptured appendix. But millions of female fans, including Grandma, refused to accept that he could have been felled by something so mundane. Instead, they chose to believe he met with foul play, poisoned perhaps by a scorned lover. This theory was encouraged by a mysterious lady in black who, for 50 years, placed a bouquet of flowers on Valentino's grave.
Though Valentino earned millions during his heyday, when he died on Aug. 21, 1926, he was broke and deeply in debt.
There's an ancient belief that a man lives as long as the last person who remembers him. Few of Valentino's original fans survive today, but judging form the light that shone in Grandma's eyes each time she spoke of him, Valentino the man may be gone, but Valentino the legend will long live on.
By Cookie Curci