Paparazzo (plural: paparazzi): a gossip photographer who secretly documents the lives of famous actors and actresses for a curious public. The word originated in Federico Fellini's 1960 film La Dolce Vita.
While looking for a name for the character Marcello Mastroianni played in his film, Fellini came across the name by chance in a book by George Gissing. It was the surname of a hotel owner in the Italian city of Catanzaro, where Gissing himself stayed briefly.
At the time, Fellini was also in contact with Secchiaroli, who was making a name for himself as a street photographer with so-called celebrity “surprise” shots. Secchiaroli served as the model for Marcello's character in the film: a gossip journalist pursuing the ‘sweet life’ of Rome's high society.
After La Dolce Vita was released, the surname became increasingly accepted internationally as a term for indiscreet, aggressive, and intrusive photojournalists.
Among the Italian paparazzi of the time, 34-year-old Massimo Sestini from Florence stood out for spending days sitting in a tree to get a photograph.
