Editing Silvio Berlusconi (section)

== Early life and family ==
Berlusconi was born in 1936 in [[Milan]], where he was raised in a middle-class family.<ref>Willey, David (2011). {{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15629283|title=The secret of Silvio Berlusconi's success|publisher=BBC News|date=12 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140207101509/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15629283 |archive-date=7 February 2014}}, BBC News. Retrieved 9 November 2011.</ref> His father, Luigi Berlusconi, was a bank employee, and his mother, Rosa Bossi, a housewife.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.150681.it/silvio-berlusconi-imprenditore-e-politico-italiano/|title=Biografia, Storia e Vita di Silvio Berlusconi, Imprenditore e Politico Italiano|publisher=150681.it |access-date=27 October 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130218202618/http://www.150681.it/silvio-berlusconi-imprenditore-e-politico-italiano/ |archive-date=18 February 2013}}</ref> He was the first of three children; he had a sister, Maria Francesca Antonietta, and a brother, [[Paolo Berlusconi|Paolo]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Politics and women, TV and sports: Berlusconi's unusual story (PHOTO) |last=((The Editor)) |work=Vox News |date=12 June 2023 |access-date=16 June 2023 |url=https://www.voxnews.al/english/fokus/politika-dhe-grate-tv-dhe-sporti-historia-e-pazakonte-e-berlusconit-foto-i42009 |archive-date=16 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616092736/https://www.voxnews.al/english/fokus/politika-dhe-grate-tv-dhe-sporti-historia-e-pazakonte-e-berlusconit-foto-i42009 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Berlusconi navi.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Berlusconi singing on a [[cruise ship]] in the 1960s<ref name=TG.co.uk/><!--Don't remove this source as it confirms the picture's authenticity and timing.-->]]
After completing his secondary school education at a [[St Francis de Sales|Salesian]] college, Berlusconi studied law at the [[University of Milan]], graduating with honours in 1961, with a thesis on the legal aspects of advertising. He was not required to serve the standard one-year stint in the [[Italian army]] which was compulsory at the time.<ref>{{cite book|last=Guarino|first=Mario|title=L'orgia del potere|publisher=Il Mulino|quote=[The author] claimed that Berlusconi avoided military service because he was the first-born child in his family. However, this did not constitute reasonable grounds for exemption}}</ref> During his university studies, he played [[upright bass]] in a group formed with the now [[Mediaset]] Chairman and amateur pianist [[Fedele Confalonieri]] and occasionally performed as a cruise ship [[crooner]].<ref name=TG.co.uk>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/worldnews/8878966/Silvio-Berlusconi-in-pictures.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/worldnews/8878966/Silvio-Berlusconi-in-pictures.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Silvio Berlusconi in pictures|website=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=18 April 2018|quote=A young Silvio Berlusconi is pictured singing on a cruise ship in the 1960s. Berlusconi was born in Milan in 1936, and studied law in Milan, graduating in 1961. He occasionally performed as a cruise ship crooner, and later recorded two albums.|date=9 November 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In later life, he wrote [[AC Milan]]'s [[anthem]] with the Italian music producer and pop singer [[Tony Renis]] and Forza Italia's anthem with the opera director [[Renato Serio]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Tony Renis: "Ecco racconto come è nato l'inno del Milan: è stata un'idea di Berlusconi" |url=https://www.milannews.it/le-interviste/tony-renis-ecco-racconto-come-e-nato-linno-del-milan-e-stata-unidea-di-berlusconi-160803 |access-date=15 June 2023 |work=Milan News |date=21 November 2014 |language=it |archive-date=7 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007142742/https://www.milannews.it/le-interviste/tony-renis-ecco-racconto-come-e-nato-linno-del-milan-e-stata-unidea-di-berlusconi-160803 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=L'inno di "Forza Italia", l'emblema di un partito politico e del suo leader Silvio Berlusconi |url=https://gazzettadelsud.it/articoli/societa/2023/06/12/linno-di-forza-italia-lemblema-di-un-partito-politico-e-del-suo-leader-silvio-berlusconi-d7ab27b8-db00-442d-a373-2d1345a39e22/ |access-date=15 June 2023 |work=Gazzetta del Sud |date=12 June 2023 |language=it |archive-date=20 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620060432/https://gazzettadelsud.it/articoli/societa/2023/06/12/linno-di-forza-italia-lemblema-di-un-partito-politico-e-del-suo-leader-silvio-berlusconi-d7ab27b8-db00-442d-a373-2d1345a39e22/ |url-status=live }}</ref> With the Neapolitan singer Mariano Apicella, he wrote two [[Neapolitan song]] albums: ''Meglio 'na canzone'' in 2003 and ''L'ultimo amore'' in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |title=Silvio Berlusconi cantò Meglio 'na Canzone con Mariano Apicella. VIDEO |url=https://tg24.sky.it/spettacolo/musica/2023/06/14/silvio-berlusconi-mariano-apicella-meglio-na-canzone |access-date=15 June 2023 |work=Sky TG24 |date=14 June 2023 |language=it |archive-date=14 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230614120324/https://tg24.sky.it/spettacolo/musica/2023/06/14/silvio-berlusconi-mariano-apicella-meglio-na-canzone |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1965, Berlusconi married Carla Elvira Dall'Oglio, and they had two children: [[Marina Berlusconi|Maria Elvira]], better known as Marina (born 1966), and [[Pier Silvio Berlusconi|Pier Silvio]] (born 1969).<ref name="Ginsborg2005">{{cite book|first=Paul|last=Ginsborg|title=Silvio Berlusconi: Television, Power And Patrimony|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YTFIetz-CC8C&pg=PA25 |access-date=24 June 2013|year=2005|publisher=Verso|isbn=978-1-84467-541-8|page=25}}</ref> By 1980, Berlusconi had established a relationship with the actress [[Veronica Lario]] (born Miriam Bartolini), with whom he subsequently had three children: [[Barbara Berlusconi|Barbara]] (born 1984), Eleonora (born 1986), and Luigi (born 1988). He was divorced from Dall'Oglio in 1985, and married Lario in 1990. By this time, Berlusconi was a well-known entrepreneur, and his wedding was a notable social event. One of his [[Best man|best men]] was [[Bettino Craxi]], a former prime minister and leader of the [[Italian Socialist Party]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Monnis |first1=Monica |title=La storia d'amore tra Silvio Berlusconi e Veronica Lario: dal colpo di fulmine all'aspra battaglia legale |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/it/star/a44171204/silvio-berlusconi-veronica-lario-storia-amore-divorzio/ |access-date=15 June 2023 |work=Cosmopolitan |date=12 June 2023 |language=it-IT |archive-date=20 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620060431/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/it/star/a44171204/silvio-berlusconi-veronica-lario-storia-amore-divorzio/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In May 2009, Lario announced that she was to file for divorce.<ref name="Ref_2009">{{cite news|title=Berlusconi's wife to divorce him|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8031520.stm|date=3 May 2009|publisher=BBC News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116182353/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8031520.stm |archive-date=16 January 2014}}</ref> On 28 December 2012, Berlusconi was ordered to pay Lario $48&nbsp;million a year in a divorce settlement, but could keep the $100&nbsp;million house they lived in with their three children.<ref>{{cite news|title=Silvio Berlusconi to pay ex-wife $50 million a year|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2012/12/28/berlusconi-lario-divorce/1795853/?sf8194263=1|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=28 December 2012|date=28 December 2012|archive-date=16 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516224308/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2012/12/28/berlusconi-lario-divorce/1795853/?sf8194263=1|url-status=live}}</ref>