Raffaella Carrà, Iconic Italian Pop Star, Dies at 78
Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItalian singer, actor, dancer and TV host Raffaella Carrà — who over the course of a 60-year career became a national pop culture sensation, sold millions of records across Europe, and found TV success in Spain and Latin America — has died, Italian national news agency ANSA and multiple Italian media outlets have reported.Carrà, who was 78, had been suffering from an unspecified illness, her former partner of many years Sergio Japino, a choreographer, told ANSA.Born in Bologna, Carrà started in showbiz as a child, first appearing at age 8 in the 1952 melodrama “Tormento del Passato,” directed by Mario Bonnard. A few other small film roles followed.