giugno-10 - Comosmagiclake.com

A sinistra, sopra, Mr. Brown sulla pista conPaul Newman; sotto, con Antonella MandelliOn the left, above, Mr. Brown on the trackwith Paul Newman; below, with Antonella MandelliA lato, la sede della Brown-FormanOn the side, the headquarters of Brown-FormanHistory of aDYNASTYfrom 1870qualcosa?». Io sorrisi: «Certo. Lo facciamonoi»... Il President Choice era un whisky cheormai si metteva in botti solo per clienti selezionatissimi,così chiamai mio cugino – cheera un collezionista – e me ne feci procurareuna bottiglia. Gliela portarono, Fonda piansee se ne fece versare un bicchierino. Paullo aiutò a bere, lui sospirò: «Adesso possoandare…». Poi aggiunse subito: «Prima peròdammene un altro goccio…». Morì una settimanadopo.QUEI JEANS BRILLANTIEra tempo di cambiare di nuovo e GeorgeGarvin Brown III fermò il suo ascensore neibox della Tyrrell a Imola: «C’era questa ragazzache era al circuito per intervistare FrankWilliams: indossava dei jeans di un giallo cosìbrillante che rimasi folgorato. Chiesi ad Alboretochi fosse, scoprii che si chiamava AntonellaMandelli e aveva un passato come pilotadi rally. La incontrai di nuovo a Montecarlodurante un cocktail su una barca, la convinsia uscire a cena, la riportai in macchina a Milano.Era il 1983: due anni dopo diventò miamoglie con la benedizione di mamma Trudy.E io mi trasferii definitivamente a Milano». Lì,nella zona della moda, George Garvin BrownIII vive da 27 anni e non cambierebbe la suacasa con nessuna al mondo. E’ un amore,quello per Milano, a prima vista, cominciatonegli anni ’70 a causa di un viaggio d’affari:«Ero venuto per comprare delle Ferrari darivendere negli Stati Uniti. Mi presentai conuna lettera di credito, ma una volta arrivatodavanti alla banca scoprii che era chiusa persciopero. Di più: lo scioperò durò due settimanee così io mi fermai per tre, facendo ilturista con mia mamma. Una città eccezionale:io in Kentucky ho una fattoria che èun paradiso, ma qui c’è una grande energia,un’energia unica. L’unico pericolo è che vivotroppo vicino alle vie dello shopping…».Da Milano, poi, il passo verso Como è statofacile: «Antonella è di Erba, lei frequentavaVilla d’Este e mi ha fatto scoprire il lago.Così adesso ho ormeggiato il mio Pershing equando posso accendo i motori e mi godo ilpanorama». Continua...On this number the saga of the family Browncontinues. Other chapters about the life of thedynasty and in particular about George GarvinBrown III, you will discover some more details offriendships, passions and the future of this gentlemanfrom Kentucky.THE REBELGeorge Garvin Brown III grew, on the computerthere are his photos in black and white, he wasruddering a boat («My uncle thought me how todo it, I was only 10 years old») he was dressed likeHuckleberry Finn, the protagonist of the novel byMark Twain: «My uncle handed down to me hispassion for boats and photography». AnywayGarvin III was a predestinated: he had his owncompany, it had to be so, he reached the topposition at the Brown Forman and he married aCanadian girl. «I wanted to have something thatwas mine, I couldn’t play the role of the designateheir. So, when my father died in 1969, I askedfor two separation: from my wife and from thecompany». George was a rebel, as you can seein a photo in beat style on the wall («I was in California,that was the look of the time»). GeorgeGarvin Brown III wanted to break the tradition:«I moved to California and I started working asa music producer. I lived 13 years working as amanager, I launched some singers, then my lifechanged again, because I was said that therewas a young driver from Kentucky who wantedto become famous. He was Danny Sullivan: in 6months I organized a team for the CanAm championship,then I launched him in Formula One,he was driving the cars of Tyrrell together withMichele Alboreto. It lasted only one year: Dannywanted to come back to the US and he decidedto drive with Andretti in Formula Indy. I continuedfor a while, then that life was too hard, youare never home and you work a lot. So I was tiredof it, but in the meantime I organized a teamfor young drivers for two years and my businesspartner was Paul Newman».MY FRIEND PAULIt is another piece of his life and here the questioncomes natural: How was your friend Newman?«Paul was a great man, a simple person, justlike Joanne Woodward, his wife: for example hehad always liked better the peace of Connecticutinstead to the lights of Hollywood. I remembera particular story: Henry Fonda was very badin the hospital and Paul went and visited him.Then he came to me and he asked me a favour:«I asked Henry if he needed something and heanswered me that I would have a whisky thatis hard to find, the President Choice. Could youhelp me?» I smiled: «Sure. We produce it». ThePresident Choice was a whisky produced just fora very selected clients, so I called my cousin – hewas a collector – and I asked him for a bottle.They brought it to Fonda, he cried and he askedfor a glass. Paul helped him and he drank it andsaid: «Now I can go…» Then he added: «I willhave another glass, before I go…» He died thefollowing week.THOSE SPARKLING JEANSThe time was ripe for another change and GeorgeGarvin Brown III stopped his elevator in the Tyrellin Imola: «There was a girl who was waiting tointerview Frank Williams: she was wearing sucha sparkling yellow jeans that I was struck. I askedto Alboreto who she was, I discovered she wasAntonella Mandelli, she used to be a rally driver. Imet her again in Montecarlo during a cocktail ona boat, I tried and invited her out for dinner andI drove her back to Milan. It was 1983: after twoyears she became my wife, with the blessing ofmy mother Trudy. So I finally moved to Milan». It’s27 years that George Garvin Brown III lives in thecity of fashion and he will never change his homewith another one. He loved Milan from the verybeginning, from the ‘70ies, when he was travellingfor a business trip: «I came here to buy someFerrari to resell in the US. I arrived with a letter ofcredit, but when I arrived in front of the bank, Idiscovered it was closed for a strike. Actually thestrike continued for two weeks and I stayed therefor three weeks as a tourist with my mom. It is anamazing city: in Kentucky I have a farm that is aparadise, but here there is a strong energy, a uniqueenergy. The only danger is that I live too closeto the shopping streets…» The step from Milanto Como was easy: «Antonella is from Erba, sheused to go to Villa d’Este and so I discovered LakeComo. Today I have my Pershing on the lake andwhen I have time, I switch on the engine and I enjoythe view». To be continued...82 83