Ice cream tycoon's first wife slams love rival after inheritance battle win
An ice cream tycoon’s first wife has slammed his second wife, after she won a bitter inheritance battle over her late ex-husband’s £4.75million fortune.
Josephine Colicci, 59, won the High Court battle ensuring £1.6m in shares of the family company will go to her children - and had the court order the love-rival to pay the legal costs of £300,000. Mrs Colicci hopes the victory will inspire other women to fight for what is legally theirs.
Mrs Colicci said she believes Ernesto ‘Ernie’ Colicci’s second wife is “out to get her” as much as she could. “I have no sympathy for her,” she said. “She has just tried to get as much money as she could, and it has backfired. I hope the court decision gives other first wives encouragement not to give up in any disagreement.”
Ernesto died from Covid in 2021 aged 66, kicking off the dispute between Mrs Colicci and Ernesto’s second wife - to whom he had left his £4.5m fortune. Russian born Nora Grinberg married Ernesto in 2014, after he divorced Mrs Colicci 30 years into their marriage.
Ms Grinberg kept her husband's 40 percent stake in the ice cream business, worth £1.6m. But Mrs Collici argued the stake should remain with his first family, and go to his son Rob and daughter Rosanna - and on that basis sued Ms Grinberg.
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Ernesto made a deal with his first wife that they would leave his company stake to the children after their death (colicciuk/Facebook)Documents emerged proving that 40% of the family business had been ring-fenced in a 2016 agreement. Ms Grinberg’s lawyers argued a 2017 shareholder agreement nullified the first agreement, arguing the 1.6m were part of her husband’s estate - and should be given to her following his final will. Ms Grinberg accepted the shares in the company should stay with the family - but wanted a substantial price paid to her to retain them.
But in May, it was ruled that the 2016 Colicci family agreement overruled other documents, and that the stake would remain with the family. In a further setback, it was ruled by Judge Mark Anderson KC that Grinberg must pay £300,000 in legal costs, MailOnline reported.
Mrs Colicci said of Ms Grinberg - who lost nearly £2m in the case: “Let’s just say we don’t get on. She made no attempt to befriend our family. She was dismissive of them and not a nice step-mum.
Mrs Colicci says she "always knew" she was going to win the case (Champion News)
Russian-born Nora Grinberg feels she has been left with very little after Ernesto's death (Champion News)Mrs Colicci, who celebrated with a six-figure meal with her kids, added: “I knew all along that we would win. She was just being greedy and it has backfired on her. It is not as if she doesn’t have any money from Ernie but she just wanted it all."
Ernesto had allegedly never told Ms Grinberg about the 2016 agreement - even though they were two years into their marriage when he made the pact with Mrs Colicci.
“I knew it was solid,” said Mrs Colicci. “Ernie and I had agreed that if either dies, the shares would go to the children. When I go, all the shares in the company pass to the children.
“Ernie and I might have been divorced but we got on so much better as friends. He was always popping round to my house and he told me had not told his wife about the 2016 agreement. I just don’t think he had the courage to tell her what we had all agreed as a family. I am sure he would have been horrified by what has been going on,” she explained.
Josephine and Ernesto made the secret deal two years after he married his second wife (colicciuk/Facebook)Mrs Colicci also argued that Ms Grinberg was not left penniless. She lives in a £2.5million house in Surbiton and owns a flat in Hampton Court. But Ms Grinberg’s lawyers believe that Mr Collici’s fortune went on debts, and she has been left with very little.
“I don’t think I have heard the last of her as there could be further court involvement,” Mrs Colicci concluded. “But we knew by going to court the agreement would stand up. I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I knew we would win. I was never in doubt that the court would find in our favour.
“When I go my shares will go to the children. That is how we wanted it.”
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