Former Versace mansion in US faces uncertain future

Miami, July 8 (IANS/EFE) Casa Casuarina, the South Beach mansion where Italian designer Gianni Versace was murdered in 1997, faces an uncertain future after its current owner filed for bankrutpcy protection.

Peter Loftin, who owns the mansion on whose front steps Versace was gunned down, purchased the property in 2000 for $19 million and converted it into a luxury hotel.

Casa Casuarina, located on South Beach's popular Ocean Drive, is a popular stop for tourists visiting Miami Beach.

The quirky mansion is on the market for $75 million, but no buyers have stepped forward.

Versace bought Casa Casuarina in 1992 and turned it into a palace in the style of the Roman Empire.

The Italian designer was gunned down July 15, 1997, by Andrew Cunanan, a male prostitute suspected of murdering four other men.

Cunanan committed suicide in a Miami Beach houseboat eight days after killing the 50-year-old Versace.

--IANS/EFE

rd