Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Umberto and Schizo: Punk Aristocrats
The couple Umberto and Schizo may have reached their pinnacle of fame when they were
mentioned in a New York Times article, in which journalist Michael T. Kaufman described
Schizo, a rock and roll singer/ songwriter, as such: “a woman with clouds of red curls,
very short shorts and at least four rings stapled between her upper lip and the bridge of her
nose.” 112 Schizo told Kaufman that the ghosts roaming the Chelsea were the muses that in-
spired her songwriting.
JERRY WEINSTEIN
Schizo was a punk rock singer who opened for Nina Hagen, 113 a European who
specializedinshrieking.It'snotmykindofmusic.SoSchizowastheopeningact,
and Umberto, her boyfriend, was a manager and a rock and roll person. He inher-
ited a lot of money from his father. He was German, but he lived in Italy. That's
where he met Schizo.
PAUL VOLMER
UmbertoandSchizoweredefinitely interesting. Theywereacouplewho,thebest
I could gather, had some money. At least Umberto, an Italian count, had money.
They had a very nice room. Schizo's name was pronounced in German like Skeet-
zo, asin skeetzo-phrenia. UmbertohadhisownbandthatwouldperformIggyPop
covers. He also promoted Schizo and hired different musicians for the band and
recordedthemwithhismoney.Hismainworkwastryingtopromotehiswife.She
had bright red hair and sort of a Nina Hagen look.
ROBERT CAMPBELL
Umberto decided to sell his countship, his nobility. He had his up for sale for
$120,000. One time I went out in the hallway and Umberto was spray painting his
shoes that looked like they came off the Joe Jackson Look Sharp album cover. He
was spray painting his shoes turquoise!
“What are you doing, Umberto?”
He said in his thick Italian accent, “Oh, I am getting married tomorrow.”
His bride-to-be, Schizo, was really freaky. She had a pocketbook that looked
like a cat. And she was wearing these really slutty clothes despite the fact that
she was pushing fifty. She was very strange. She would go to CBGBs and have
all these great musicians playing in her band. So they were in my room one night
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