This biography tells the story of one of the century's richer and stranger women. Luisa Casati raised eyebrows with her pet cheetahs (they had diamond-studded leashes), her parties (where some of the guests were made of wax and most of the servants were naked), and her list of friends (which included Man Ray, Cocteau, Kerouac, and her lover, Gabrielle D'Annunzio). The party ended in the 1930s when, $25 million in debt, she left Venice for London and lived out the rest of her life in more modest, but no less unusual, terms. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.