Puccio family
The Puccio family was an Argentine criminal family associated with a series of kidnappings and murders in the early 1980s.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Puccio family was an Argentine family whose name became associated with a kidnapping and murder operation conducted in the early 1980s. The family lived in a large residence in San Isidro, an affluent suburb of Buenos Aires. The central figures were Arquímedes Puccio, his wife Epifanía Calvo, and their five children: Alejandro, Silvia, Daniel, Guillermo, and Adriana. The family was not a commercial brand or operating business; its historical significance comes from a criminal case that attracted sustained public attention in Argentina and later became the subject of films and television productions. Arquímedes Puccio was identified by prosecutors as the organizer of the operation. Before the crimes became public, he was suspected of having links to forced disappearances during Argentina's military dictatorship and the Dirty War. His son Alejandro was a prominent rugby player and had social connections that helped the group identify or approach potential victims. Silvia worked as a local art teacher. The family's apparently respectable social position and the use of their home as a place of captivity contributed to the case's notoriety. The first known victim was Ricardo Manoukian, a 23-year-old acquaintance of Alejandro. He disappeared in July 1982 after being taken captive. His family paid a ransom of 250,000 United States dollars, but Manoukian was subsequently killed. Engineer Eduardo Aulet was kidnapped in May 1983, and his family paid 150,000 dollars. Aulet was also murdered; his remains were discovered several years later. Emilio Naum was abducted in June 1984 and was shot when he resisted. The final known victim, Nélida Bollini de Prado, was held captive for nearly a month. She survived and was rescued during a police operation at the Puccio residence on 23 August 1985. The raid led to the arrest of members of the family and associates. Arquímedes and Alejandro Puccio, together with Daniel and several adult male accomplices, were prosecuted in connection with the crimes. Arquímedes and Alejandro received life sentences, while Daniel served a shorter prison term. Guillermo had left Argentina before the arrests and later remained outside the country; the limitation period for the alleged crimes eventually expired. Epifanía, Silvia, and Adriana were not convicted of participating in the kidnappings and murders. The family's later history remained part of public discussion. Alejandro was paroled in 2007 and died of pneumonia in 2008. Silvia died of cancer in 2011, while Arquímedes died of a stroke in 2013 while continuing to deny responsibility. Daniel was located in Brazil in 2019 during a routine inspection and was detained over false Brazilian identity documents; authorities determined that he had no outstanding arrest warrant connected with the Argentine case. As of the period covered by the principal historical accounts, Epifanía and Adriana continued to own the San Isidro house where the crimes had taken place. The case has been revisited in popular culture, notably through the 2015 Argentine film The Clan and the Telefe miniseries Historia de un clan. A loosely related fictionalized treatment also appeared in the 2022 Mexican series The Secret of the Greco Family. These adaptations have kept the Puccio case prominent in discussions of organized crime, social respectability, kidnapping, and Argentina's post-dictatorship memory.
History
The Puccio family case concerns an Argentine criminal group centered on the household of Arquímedes Puccio in San Isidro, Buenos Aires Province. The household included Arquímedes, his wife Epifanía Calvo, and their five children: Alejandro, Silvia, Daniel, Guillermo, and Adriana. The family occupied a large house in an affluent neighborhood, an environment that appeared outwardly conventional and socially connected. Alejandro was known as a successful rugby player, while Silvia worked as an art teacher. Arquímedes was regarded as the principal organizer of the kidnapping operation. Historical accounts also connect him, at the level of suspicion, with forced disappearances during the Dirty War. Alejandro's personal relationships and local acquaintances provided access to potential victims. The operation involved several outside accomplices, including Roberto Oscar Díaz, Guillermo Fernández Laborda, Rodolfo Victoriano Franco, and Gustavo Contepomi. Franco, a retired colonel, was later represented in popular dramatizations by the nickname “the Colonel.” The first known kidnapping involved Ricardo Manoukian, a 23-year-old acquaintance of Alejandro. Manoukian disappeared on 22 July 1982. His family paid a ransom of 250,000 dollars, but the victim was subsequently killed by gunshots to the neck. On 5 May 1983, engineer Eduardo Aulet was abducted. His family paid 150,000 dollars, yet Aulet was also killed. His body was located approximately four years later. In June 1984, Emilio Naum was kidnapped and shot when he resisted; his body was abandoned in the street. The last known victim was Nélida Bollini de Prado. She was held for nearly a month inside the San Isidro residence. On 23 August 1985, police raided the house and found her alive. The investigation and arrests followed an effort by the kidnappers to collect ransom money. Alejandro and his girlfriend, Mónica, were also detained in connection with the operation. The criminal proceedings resulted in convictions for Arquímedes, Alejandro, Daniel, and three other accomplices. Arquímedes and Alejandro received life sentences, while Daniel was imprisoned for a number of years. While awaiting sentencing, Alejandro attempted suicide by jumping from the fifth floor of a courthouse as he was being taken to testify. He survived but suffered serious medical consequences. Guillermo had left Argentina before the family's arrest and did not return; the limitation period for the alleged crimes expired in 2013, preventing a later trial. Epifanía Calvo, Silvia, and Adriana were not convicted of involvement in the kidnappings and murders. Alejandro was released on parole in 2007 and died of pneumonia the following year at age 49. Silvia died of cancer in 2011. Arquímedes died of a stroke in 2013 and continued to maintain his innocence. Daniel's whereabouts were uncertain for years. In September 2019 he was detained in Brazil during a bus inspection in the state of São Paulo for carrying false Brazilian identification documents. Authorities found no active warrant for him in relation to the historic Argentine case. The San Isidro house remained associated with the crimes and was reported to remain owned by Epifanía and Adriana during the period covered by the reference account. The case has had a continuing cultural afterlife. The 2015 film The Clan dramatized the events with Guillermo Francella portraying Arquímedes. Telefe's 2015 miniseries Historia de un clan offered another dramatization, with Alejandro Awada in the role of Arquímedes. The 2022 Mexican Netflix series The Secret of the Greco Family drew on similar kidnapping-family themes and is commonly discussed alongside the Puccio story, although it is a fictionalized production rather than a direct documentary account.
- 2022
The Secret of the Greco Family released
[1]The Mexican series The Secret of the Greco Family revisited a similar fictionalized criminal-family premise and was discussed in relation to the Puccio case.
- 2019
Daniel Puccio detained in Brazil
[1]Daniel Puccio was detained over false Brazilian identification documents, with no active warrant found for the historic Argentine crimes.
- 2015
The Clan released
[1]The Argentine film The Clan brought the case to a broad cinematic audience.
- 2015
Historia de un clan broadcast
[1]Telefe broadcast a miniseries dramatizing the family's crimes and prosecution.
- 2013
Death of Arquímedes Puccio
[1]Arquímedes Puccio died of a stroke while continuing to deny responsibility.
- 2011
Death of Silvia Puccio
[1]Silvia Puccio died of cancer.
- 2008
Death of Alejandro Puccio
[1]Alejandro Puccio died of pneumonia at age 49.
- 2007
Alejandro Puccio is paroled
[1]Alejandro Puccio received parole after serving part of his sentence.
- 1985
Police raid exposes the operation
[1]Nélida Bollini de Prado was rescued from the Puccio house on 23 August 1985, leading to the arrest of suspected family members and accomplices.
- 1984
Death of Emilio Naum
[1]Emilio Naum was shot during an attempted kidnapping in June 1984.
Products and positioning
Not applicable as a commercial brand; the Puccio family is documented as a historical Argentine criminal family.
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 2015The Clan
Argentina
The Argentine feature film The Clan dramatized the Puccio family's kidnappings and murders, with Guillermo Francella portraying Arquímedes Puccio.
Outcome. The film renewed public attention to the case and became one of its most prominent cultural representations.
- 2015Historia de un clan
Argentina
Telefe produced a television miniseries based on the family's criminal history, with Alejandro Awada playing Arquímedes Puccio.
Outcome. The series extended the case's presence in Argentine popular culture through serialized television drama.
Recent events
- 2019
Daniel Puccio is detained in Brazil over false identification documents[1]
Other
Daniel Puccio was detained during a routine bus inspection in Brazil. Interpol checks found no outstanding warrant related to the Argentine crimes, while the immediate allegation concerned falsified Brazilian identity documents.
- 1984
Emilio Naum is killed during an attempted kidnapping[1]
Other
Emilio Naum was abducted in June 1984 and shot after attempting to resist the kidnapping.
- 1983
Eduardo Aulet is kidnapped and killed[1]
Other
Engineer Eduardo Aulet was abducted in May 1983. His family paid a ransom, but he was murdered and his body was discovered several years later.
- 1982
Ricardo Manoukian is kidnapped and later murdered[1]
Other
Ricardo Manoukian, aged 23, became the first known victim associated with the Puccio family's kidnapping operation. A ransom was paid by his family, but he was later killed.
Sources1 sources
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