Who is Vito Verni? Former NYC model sues boyfriend, 84, for $80M for demanding sex up to 10 TIMES a day
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: A former Wilhelmina model has reportedly claimed that her on-again-and-off-again octogenarian boyfriend persuaded her to leave her job and rent-stabilized Chelsea apartment and move into his expansive Rye home, where he occasionally made sex demands as frequently as ten times per day, according to a Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit. In the lawsuit, Janet Bedin, 68, alleged that Vito Verni, 84, executed an emotional bait-and-switch between the start of 2019 and the end of 2021 "when they lived together as a couple" in the 5,000-square-foot Westchester mansion.
According to court documents, Bedin is currently suing Verni for $80 million, alleging a long range of offenses such as defamation, fraudulent inducement, harassment, and illegal eviction. In the civil lawsuit, a successful woman is shown to have been misled by a man who attracted her with empty promises of wealth and love.
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The complaint claims that Bedin worked tirelessly and even gave up her dog because Verni had a cat. The lawsuit claims, "Plaintiff was to be 100% his caregiver. He meant for plaintiff to be available for all his sexual needs, to be his escort, do his laundry, cook his meals. (It turned out to mean sexual intercourse, at times up to 10 times a day)," the New York Post reported.
The lawsuit claimed that Bedin "developed an exciting career very well respected by executives and government leaders, traveling back and forth from New York to Italy." Under former governor Mario Cuomo, she held the position of executive director of the New York State Economic office for Italy and Spain from 1991 to 1995. From 2015 until 2018, she continued to hold that position. The suit claims, "In that capacity, plaintiff had the honor of meeting Pope Francis, Mother Teresa, the President and the Prime Minister of Italy, the US Ambassador to the Vatican, and many others … [who she] continues to count as her friends."
For many years, the two had an "on and off" relationship, according to the filing from October 26. A 21-year-old Bedin traveled from Rockford, Illinois, to New York in 1976 "hoping to pursue her dream of modeling and acting," according to the lawsuit. She began her career as a model for Wilhelmina before changing careers to become an executive in business development.
According to the lawsuit, the former model claimed that their relationship began when Verni repeatedly calling to "inspect" the property she had rented from him. In the lawsuit, she claimed that Verni "never wore a wedding ring and started to kiss" Bedin at her apartment, "leading to a long, intimate relationship" that has been on-again-and-off-again since 1976. Verni and Bedin "broke off" multiple times, but the married man "continued to pursue" her, according to the complaint.
According to the lawsuit, Verni told Bedin that he wanted her to focus solely on him and be with him "100% of the time." Verni allegedly pledged to pay for Bedin's sick brother's medical expenses and made the commitment that "we will travel, be [at] his club, socialize with his friends, go to museums, and take wine classes together." However, the lawsuit claims that when Bedin moved in, "the relationship changed," and that Verni then started becoming violent and domineering, both verbally and physically. The bombshell lawsuit claims that the "savvy, experienced New York City landlord for over 65 years" evicted Bedin.
According to the complaint, Verni owns "many" residential buildings in Manhattan, the Bronx, Connecticut, and a brand-new community in Harrison, New York.
The lawsuit claims that Verni "fraudulently induced her to give up her career" after initially showering her with cards, letters, and an emerald and diamond engagement ring, New York Post reported. Verni claimed in court documents relating to the eviction that "we socialized a few days a week and nothing more" and dubbed Bedin's assertions a "shakedown."
As per the New York Post report, Verni's attorney, Eric Grayson, claimed that Bedin's baseless complaint is just one more attempt to harass Verni and filed nearly an identical lawsuit in Westchester County Supreme Court, and Justice Zuckerman dismissed it on all counts in October.
At the most recent session, Justice Horowitz said, "Madame, you really need to understand, you're going to end up in jail and I'm shocked that you haven't already. It has to stop."