Rome, 10 September (LaPresse) – Italian-American Paul Baccaglini, former member of the TV show Le Iene and president of Palermo Calcio for five months in 2017, has died at the age of 41. Baccaglini's partner found his lifeless body yesterday morning at his home in Segrate. According to reports, it was a voluntary act. ‘Ciao Paul. On Tuesday morning, Paul Baccaglini, one of our correspondents who was part of the Le Iene team a few years ago, passed away. We send our love to his family,’ reads a post on the programme's social media page. Born in Chicago and raised in Pittsburgh, Baccaglini moved to Padua, Italy, where his Italian mother lived, as a child. He was a good basketball player, reaching the C1 league. After leaving sport, he threw himself into the world of entertainment: his first experiences in radio (Radio Padova and then RTL 102.5 for almost three years) were followed by television, as a correspondent for Le Iene. His speciality was interviewing politicians in a playful manner. Baccaglini had been romantically involved with former Velina Thais Wiggers for eight years. After his television career ended, he became interested in the world of finance, becoming a trader. He had created several funds and, through one of these, he had signed a preliminary agreement to purchase Palermo, which was playing in Serie A at the time. In March 2017, he made an official presentation to the press, outlining his purchase plan and the agreements with his predecessor Maurizio Zamparini. On 19 April, he became president of the Rosanero club, but in the end, the project fell through: in July of that year, Zamparini rejected his purchase offer, considering it to lack sufficient guarantees.