Family of multimillionaire ice cream tycoon fights ‘Russian maid’ new wife over his £5M fortune
THE family of a multimillionaire ice cream tycoon are fighting his new wife over a £5m fortune.
Ernesto Colicci, also known as Ernie, died of Covid in 2021 after having spent the last 40 years of his life dedicated to his dessert empire.
The business was set up by Ernie, 66, and his wife at the time Josephine.
The pair, who had two kids together, Rob, 39, and Rosanna, 36, divorced in 2011.
In 2014 Ernie then married his second wife Russian-born Nora Grinberg.
Josephine and Nora are now at logger-heads battling for the hefty sum of money.
When Ernie died, his April 2017 will left the entire £4.75m fortune to Nina and their infant daughter.
He then wrote a letter to his older kids to explain he had given them enough money during their lifetime and they wouldn’t be getting anymore.
Josephine is now arguing Ernie’s £1.6m stake in the ice cream business should go to her children.
She insists Ernie’s 40 per cent stake was ear-marked for Rob and Rosanna under an agreement they drew up in 2016.
But before he died, Ernie left his estate to Nora.
Josephine is now suing Nora at the High Court.
Josephine told the court when her ex got with Nora she viewed her as a friend and even went to the wedding.
She also maintained a good relationship with Ernie after helping build the ice cream business for four decades.
She said: “We went from selling ice cream out the back of a van to the business we have today through a lot of hard work.”
Josephine also claimed Ernie and his second bride “almost broke up” after he suggested that she sign a pre-nup before the wedding – which she refused to do.
She added: “Nora reluctantly came to the altar, he had to go and fetch her from the room to come down.”
Nora’s barrister Angela Walsh argued the terms of the 2016 agreement had been “wiped out”.
The barrister told Judge Mark Anderson KC, Nora, who claims Ernie never insisted she sign a pre-nup, will face financial “hardship” if she loses her late husband’s stake in the family company for nothing.
Ms Walsh said: “The financial impact on his wife and daughter has been life-changing.”
The court heard, the letter left by Ernie to his two older kids, made it clear they were being written out of the will.
The letter read: “I love Roberto and Rosanna very much and my will is no reflection on how I feel about them.
“I have provided both of them with significant financial funds in their lifetimes, and I have set them up with properties, rental properties, and provided them with careers.
“They are independent adults now with financial security. I consider this more than sufficient financial provision for Roberto and Rosanna.”
The judge is expected to deliver his ruling on who the money belongs to at a later date.