On this day, Nov. 8, in 1973, the ear belonging to the kidnapped grandson of an American-born billionaire was delivered to an Italian newspaper with a ransom note asking for $3.2 million.
Jean Paul Getty III had been kidnapped in July while in Rome. His father was sent a ransom note demanding $17 million, but because the teenager was so rebellious, his family believed it was an attempt to extract cash from his rich grandfather and the ransom went unpaid.
The second note was delayed by an Italian postal strike. When it finally arrived, Jean Paul Getty II asked his father for the money, but the billionaire refused.
Finally, on Nov. 8, 1973, the envelope with the ear and lock of hair was delivered to the newspaper. The note threatened that Getty would arrive in “little bits” if $3.2 million was not paid.
Getty’s grandfather agreed to pay the ransom, but required his son to repay him 4 percent interest on the loan. Getty was released in December 1973. His captors were never found.
— Freeman Klopott
