A former mechanic who thought he'd uncovered a rare nude photo of Marilyn Monroe was disappointed to find it was actually a snap of Madonna. Lawrence Nicastro, 73, said he found the poster-sized image at his home and thought it was a never-before-seen picture of the actress posing as a naked hitchhiker.
He thought it had been left behind by a customer at his New York garage in 1962.
Mr Nicastro and wife Phyllis spent four months researching the photograph. And they even brought in a Marilyn Monroe expert, Chris Harris, who verified it was a genuine new find.
But when the expert gave journalists a sneak preview of the image ahead of a scheduled press conference to show off the shot, one pointed out the resemblance to Madonna - before it emerged the photo was a shot of the Material Girl star in her infamous raunchy 1992 coffee table book, Sex. It displayed the singer wearing just heels and a handbag, with a cigarette in her mouth.
Harris said he soon realised the mistake.
He told reporters: "You're right; it's Madonna. If there ever was an embarrassing moment "
He still plans to hold the news conference to "face the music".
"Who wins here? Madonna, of course. She really looks like Marilyn Monroe," said Harris.
It is not clear where the photograph actually came from, but Harris said he believed someone had slipped the poster into Mr Nicastro's belongings as a practical joke.
Mr Nicatsro first thought that a man dropped off a Ford Sunliner convertible for repairs on New Year's Eve 1962.
When the man didn't return to pick up his car, Nicastro recalled that he opened the trunk and placed the contents in storage.
It was initially claimed that the photo was taken near Pyramid Lake, near Reno, Nevada, in 1960. Monroe filmed "The Misfits" with Clark Gable in 1960 in the desert state. The actress died in 1962.
By Gavin Wilson, Feb 20 2008 © Copyright 2008 - Showbiz Spy
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