Antonio Murano: How Did Yiya Murano’s Husband Die?

Directed by Alejandro Hartmann, Netflix’s ‘Yiya Murano: Death at Tea Time’ is a documentary exploring the duality of the titular woman as a charming housewife and a monstrous serial killer. The Argentine was accused of over 100 homicides motivated by financial gain at one point, but she was only ever convicted of 3 such matters for which she spent a total of 13 years in prison. However, despite all the claims against her and the legal ramifications of her actions, her husband of over three decades, Antonio Murano, never once wavered in his belief in her innocence.

Antonio Murano Prided Himself on Being a Man of Duty

Antonio Murano was reportedly just a young boy growing up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, when he developed a keen interest in the world of legality, only for it to expand as the years passed. He thus ended up pursuing a Juris Doctorate upon graduating from high school, following which he likely garnered some significant experience before establishing his own private practice. As per records, he was a well-reputed civil attorney operating in the densely populated working-class neighborhood of Boed, through which he was able to provide his family with a stable life.

Antonio had tied the knot with María Bernardina de las Mercedes Bolla Aponte de Murano (aka Yiya) in 1953, having fallen head over heels in love with her charm, independence, and smile. The couple happily settled down in the historic, central neighborhood of Monserrat not long after, which is where they also welcomed their only child into the world more than a decade later. Martín Murano was reportedly born around 1966, and he learned what it is to be a man from his father because the latter always dedicated himself to his career and his family in equal measure. In fact, according to the original production, while he was a man of few words, he ensured to be accommodating, expressed himself through his actions, and was present to the best of his abilities.

Martín Murano Has Always Considered Antonio Murano to be His True and Only Father

While Yiya and Antonio’s marriage seemed idyllic from the outside, the truth behind closed doors was that there was an emotional distance and an underlying tension between them by the 1970s. As per the aforementioned original, owing to their differences in personality, their communication broke down to such an extent that she was left with nothing but “loneliness and nostalgia.”She thus allegedly engaged in numerous extramarital affairs, reportedly totaling over 250, with her often even letting Martín tag along if she was meeting her lovers for meals at public spots. The youngster obviously didn’t realize what was allegedly happening at the time, he admitted in the documentary, but he had some big questions once he started looking back as a teenager.

Martín’s curiosity for truth won in the end as he did a DNA test at age 18, only for his worst fears to be realized – he has since stated the man he called dad all his life was not his biological father. Nevertheless, to this day, he proudly and vehemently asserts that Antonio was his only “true” parent, even crediting him with the life he built as an adult as an action choreographer and stuntman. After all, it was Antonio who introduced him to the world of stunts at 8 years old by taking him to see ‘Animal’ (1977) and then explaining the action, which inspired him to follow that same path.

Antonio Murano Believed in His Wife’s Innocence Until His Dying Breath

When Yiya was first arrested on suspicion of 3 murders in April 1979, Antonio did everything in his power to ensure she had the best lawyers and best possible opportunities to prove her innocence. Her relationship with her son had already broken down owing to a myriad of reasons by this point, but her husband was still deeply in love with her despite some marital troubles over the years. Therefore, he ensured to take Martín and visit her in prison every Saturday, that is, until all their interpersonal bonds grew rather strained after she was finally convicted in 1985. She was initially acquitted in 1982 on grounds of insufficient evidence, but an appeal resulted in a retrial and then a conviction on charges of murder and financial fraud.

According to Martín, Antonio was heartbroken when Yiya went to prison as he had been “blinded by love” and couldn’t, or he refused to, see the “evil” in her. In fact, although “he could not stand the public shame and humiliation she put us through,” he still believed she was innocent of the accusations against her. “One sad day,” Martín has since revealed, his father “threatened to kill himself. I stared into his eyes as tears streamed down my cheeks, unable to speak a single word.” He also indicated in the documentary that Antonio was truly shaken upon losing his wife, so he essentially died of sadness the same year she was convicted. In other words, the civil lawyer passed away in 1985. As for his official cause of death, that has never been made public.

Read More: Yiya Murano: What Happened to Her? How Did She Die?