The body of beloved TV presenter Mike Bongiorno has been recovered after being stolen nearly a year ago.
Mike Bongiorno passed away on September the 8th, 2009 at the age of 85 and was laid to rest in the village of Arona. In January 2011, a man out for an early morning walk discovered that the TV quiz star's tomb had been disturbed. Mike Bongiorno's body had been taken in what police believed was an extortion plot.
The coffin was discovered leaning against the wall of a church in Vittuone, a small town in the Milan area.
DNA tests will be needed to confirm that the remains belong to Bongiorno, but the coffin bore a plaque with the TV host's name and birth date.
Mike Bongiorno's wife declined to comment, but the late star's son Michele told the press: "We are feeling much better, we are very happy that the body has been recovered, because it was the only thing that really interested us.".
Several arrests were made over the course of the year but police believe that the masterminds behind the body-snatching plot are still at large.
The American-born Italian TV host is best remembered as the “il Re dei Quiz” (the King of Quiz) and was often considered the most popular game show host in Italy. The coffin will be returned to the cemetery by Lake Maggiore from which it was taken.
