Mary Elsie Moore, Princess di Civitella-Cesi (October 22, 1889 – December 21, 1941), was an American railroad equipment heiress who married and divorced Italian Prince Don Marino Torlonia, 4th Prince of Civitella-Cesi.
Early life
Mary Elsie Moore was born October 22, 1889, in Brooklyn, New York, the youngest child of Charles Arthur Moore (1846–1914)[2] and Mary (née Campbell) Moore (1854–1928).[3] Her father was a shipping broker and hardware manufacturer from Connecticut, who went on to become the president of Manning, Maxwell and Moore, a large industrial concern.[4][5]
Her siblings were Charles Arthur Moore Jr. who married Annete Sperry and Elizabeth Hyde (maternal grandfather of actress Glenn Close); Eugene Maxwell Moore, who married Titanic survivor Margaret Graham; and Jessie Ann Moore, who married the son of U.S Navy Admiral Colby Mitchell Chester.
In 1922, the Duke of Torlonia fought a duel with Count Filippo Lovatelli, the famous Italian sculptor, over a statue of the Duchess, causing an international sensation.[10][11]
The Prince of Torlonia was having an affair.[5] In 1925, the couple separated and in 1926, the Duchess filed for divorce in the United States.[12] Her American citizenship was brought into question,[13] but the Connecticut courts decided that her residence in the state was legal and granted her divorce in February 1928.[14][15]
Once settled in the United States she became a socialite, active in society life in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island.[5] Moore died at her home, 375 Park Avenue in New York City, on December 21, 1941.[4]
