Tomponzi, the "meddler" who saved 96 children "It all began soon after the war. A journalist rang me up after finding my name in the telephone directory: Ponzi Tommaso, detective. He ran to interview me and shortened my name into something that sounded to me like a dog's name. Not to him, an expert on detective stories. To this stroke of luck I added all my "tough" passion. And now here I am". That's how Tomponzi told his own story, a bulky man (he weighed 130 kilos) with awkward investigating habits- but also the brightest Italian 007. Born in Pola in 1921, he died in May 1997. To Roberto Gervaso, who once asked him if he really considered himself a fascist, Tom, an ex combatant in the Repubblica Sociale, answered: "I am not a fascist. I simply am, and I've always been a sympathizer of Mussolini. Of the Duce he admired everything: "art of speaking, talent, intelligence, generosity". Should Benito come back to life today- Gervaso asked - what would he do? "The Italians would welcome him with open arms. And he would save Italy". "He was a fascist, take that for granted " concedes Miriam, his daughter, who up to the age of 21 was kept "under lock and key" by her father ( "Woe betide if I came back home after midnight"), "but let's be honest. All the Italian girls wish they've had a fascist father as mine was: possessive but loyal, abrupt but tender, introversive but a great narrator of extraordinary stories. Like Mussolini, he was home-bred, genuine and passionate. He taught me how to keep clear of weathercocks and bootlickers, to respect upright adversaries, just like him! With her father, Miriam (the second of three children) has frequented the Almirante house since her childhood: "I was there when he put his hand on young Fini's shoulder and appointed him as his own successor". Despite several indubitable satisfactions - he worked for Rockfeller, Agnelli, Enzo Ferrari, the Aga Khan (but also for the poor, often without asking any reward)- Tomponzi didn't have an easy life, because he never wanted to. He had a lot of enemies, but also many friends, communists included. The Red Brigades tried to kidnap his daughter, and he was suspected of having put up Julio Valerio Broghese, ex commander of Decima Mas, at a time when anxiety about a military coup was growing. Most surprisingly, he was not awarded the gold medal for civil bravery on occasion of his heroic deed in Terrazzano, near Milan. It was back in 1956. Two armed dolts were holding 96 children in a primary school as hostages. The police lined up hundreds of men in front of the building and he, a still unknown detective, managed alone to surprise the two psychopaths and to rescue the children. On the wall of Miriam's Rome office, hangs the letter of thanks with the 96 mothers' signatures. There was talk of a medal. Soon later, however, his political likes were found out, someone wrote that in his wallet he held a photo showing him in the uniform of Rsi para and that in his study there was a portrait of the Duce. He was rewarded with the charge of masterminding a spy plot. The usual "black lead". He was acquitted. "The world has become the land of thriller", was his only comment.