Everyone knows about the illustrious monuments and museums that make Rome a must-see destination, but Netflix's Baby exposed a dark side of modern Roman life. Back in 2014, a case eerily similar to the unbelievable on-screen drama of Baby was playing out in real life. The escort-turned-prostitution ring of underage girls gripped the media for ages after the case first began. The lives of Chiara and Ludovica were actually the center of a former police investigation, where the Baby Squilo (AKA Baby Prostitute) case originated.
Andrea De Sica, one of the series' directors, has admitted to taking some artistic liberties when it comes to the small screen storyline. "We tried to be as faithful as possible to their conflicts and choice," he said. "What you've seen is not a chronicle of real-life events, but it's up to you to draw your own conclusions." So it's not 100 percent accurate, but unfortunately, there are some parallels that can't be denied. Here are all the facts and fiction when it comes to Baby.
True: Chiara And Ludovica Are Based On A Real Friendship
After a concerned parent rang the authorities about her underage daughter potentially being a prostitute, two girls and their stories came to the forefront of the investigation. Although the true identities of the girls remain anonymous because of their age, their names are on record as aliases: Angela and Agnese.
Chiara is based on the claims of the 16-year-old, Angela, and Ludo is based on the 14-year-old, Agnese. They were friends who stumbled into the world of prostitution together.
Changed: Ludo's Mom Involvement In The Ring
Simonetta isn't exactly the villain in the series. Yes, she's portrayed as absent-minded and completely delusional about where Ludo's money is coming from, but she's definitely not as twisted as the real-life mother of Ludo's character.
In reality, the mother of "Agnes" caught on to her daughter's behavior after Agnese started supporting her household with money. The deeper Agnese got into prostitution, the more her mother encouraged her. In a phone call recorded by the police, Agnese begged her mother to allow her off work early. Instead of supporting her daughter, she instructed her to rearrange her study schedule to accommodate for more hours.
True: High Profile Men Were Caught In It
The high profile clientele involved were unfortunately all too real. Politicians, bankers, and UN staff members were just a few of the white-collared executives exposed in the police report.
Among the 50 clients that are known, some prominent Italians made the list. Benito Mussolini's grandson-in-law, Mauro Floriani, was convicted of paying one of the underage girls for sex. The men were well aware of their age and their pimp is cited as saying that their age was what lured men in the first place.
Changed: The Reasons Why They Did It
In the show, it's as if they initially got into escorting to add a rush of adrenaline into their lives, not because they actually needed it financially. In reality, it was only Angela (AKA Chiara) who was in it solely for the thrill and sense of empowerment. During a deposition, she said, "I wanted a lot of money and I didn't want to miss out on having anything."
One huge detail that was left out is that Agneses (AKA Ludo) was pushed into doing this to support her money and their mounting bills. She came from a struggling single-parent household, but her mother was more focused on the paper, not her next romance.
True: They Made A Ton Of Money
Ludo and Chiara dropped some serious paper on designer labels, technology, and makeup, which mirrored real life. All it took was for them to Google 'easy money' and they came across their future pimps.
Although they were already attending an elite, private school full of wealthy people, they created their own stream. By the time they were busted, they were roughly making $570 to $680 a day.
Changed: All The Romances That Took Place
Naturally, the police investigation didn't include any insight into the relationship statuses of anyone involved.
So no matter how much anyone is rooting for Chiara and Damiano to really get it together during season three, their romance begins and ends on the small screen. The only legit relationship is the friendship between Chiara and Ludo.
True: The Apartment Was At The Center Of The Investigation
In the show, Chiara and Ludo fall into the grasp of Fiore, who's ultimately working for Saviero. Much like the antagonists of Baby, the actual pimps, Nunzio Pizzacalla and Mirko Ieni, rented an apartment strictly for the girls to use for their "performances". They'd meet with clients right after school.
As disappointing as it was to see Ludo stroll back into the grasp of Fiore by returning to the apartment in the season two finale, you can drive by their former headquarters on Via Paroli in Rome.
Changed: The Number Of Girls Involved
Since Chiara and Ludo are naturally the stars of the show, it's their journey that's so deeply investigated. It's shocking to see just two young girls involved in a scandal of this magnitude, but perhaps Rome was so entranced with the case because it involved way more girls.
More than a dozen young girls got wrapped up in the sick ways of Pizzacalla and Ieni, even some from the same high school as the duo.
True: Parioli Is As Rich As It Seems
Since Parioli was built in the 1930s, it's been considered a hub of wealth. Here's where you can catch the TV and movie stars on the balconies of their villas or shopping at one of the high-end stores. Just like the show, this is the neighborhood where all the drama goes down.
There are also a number of government embassies here. Rewind to 2014 and it's these types of elites that got busted in the scandal.
Changed: Who Got Punished
While there's still another season before we find out the fates of the characters, not one main character has been caught. After the criminal investigation, the clients faced light sentences, averaging only a year. The pimps got between seven and 10 years, while Ludo's mom got six. She was also stripped entirely of her parental rights.
As for the girls, they went through counseling for psychological trauma. Since their identities are secret, they're still probably walking the streets of Italy today.