The mayor of Ascoli in Marche said
Wednesday they were waiting for Russell Crowe with open arms
after the Gladiator star revealed he had a great great great
grandfather who emigrated from the Adriatic town to New Zealand.
Crowe, 59, who was born in New Zealand and grew up in Australia,
said he was seeking his Italian roots and had tracked the
ancestor on his mother's side, Luigi Ghezzi, back to Ascoli
whence he reportedly emigrated in 1864.
The mayor, Marco Fioravanti, said "as mayor I can only take the
opportunity to publicly invite Russell Crowe to visit Ascoli,
we'd be delighted to have him as our guest.
"It's good news for us to learn that he has ancestors hailing
from Ascoli Piceno. We'll welcome him with open arms".
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