History
Woman Uses Poison Makeup to Murder 600 Husbands
How one woman found the easy way out of any marriage.
Gulia Tofana was a gorgeous Italian woman and — perhaps — the most prolific serial killer of all time.
If you were stuck in a toxic 17th-century marriage, she was your best bet to escape — but only if you were a woman.
It was a family business
Gulia Tofana was born in Palermo, on the Italian island of Sicily, and later settled in Rome.
Gulia’s mother was executed for the poisoning several men, including Giulia’s father.
Her poison was named Aqua Tofana.
And while it would seem unwise to name your “secret” poison with your last name, Gulia had great success evading police — initially.
It wasn’t Giulia's initial aim to go into the family business. But she struggled to make a living through legal means. And the poison enterprise was extremely lucrative.
She traveled from town to town throughout Italy with her young daughter and had no shortage of clients.
She eventually settled in downtown Rome.
