On May 12, 1957, 28-year-old Alfonso de Portago violently crashed the Ferrari he was driving in Italy's Mille Miglia race, killing himself, his co-driver, and nine bystanders.
The Mille Miglia, a 1,000-mile race driven on the open roads of Italy, ended in disaster in 1957. That year, driver Alfonso de Portago was less than 30 miles from the finish line when he crashed, killing himself and 10 others.
Moments before the accident, a photographer had snapped the final image of Portago alive. In the picture, actress Linda Christian leans over the side of Portago’s Ferrari to kiss the racecar driver. Published in newspapers announcing the horrible crash, the photo became known as the “Kiss of Death.”
Just like his death, Alfonso de Portago’s life had been lived at high speed. He was born to a