Possibly of humble origins, the young Enrico worked as a hairdresser in Genoa and had repeated run-ins with the law, at times being convicted of theft, slander and fraud, as well as not paying child support.
Throughout his life as "prince", he hosted numerous "charity balls", wherein he sold titles to gullible people, some of them celebrities, for considerable amounts of money.
Enrico was not the only Byzantine pretender to have been recognized in Italian courts around this time, for instance being preceded by the recognition of the genoese Marziano Lavarello.
[8] In reality, Enrico was not a descendant of the Palaiologoi, or any other imperial or royal dynasty, with his genealogy having been dismissed by multiple authorities as a complete fabrication[5] that contradicts the historical record.
[5] Upon the deposition of the last King of Greece, Constantine II, in 1967, Enrico "felt the hand of destiny on his shoulder" and flew to Athens,[3] where he "put himself on disposal of the Greek people".
Though representatives of the new Hellenic Republic met with him, and Enrico insisted on his credentials as Byzantine heir, the Greek government paid little attention to him.
In the 1990s, Enrico hosted "charity balls" at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and Palm Beach in Florida, from which he garnered considerable sums of money.
[8] At one single Las Vegas event, he supposedly made $42,000 for selling titles and coats of arms.
[5] Per Enrico's wishes, his wife "Princess Françoise Paleologo" succeeded him as grand master of his orders upon his death.
Given that the official website for Enrico's orders makes no mention of a current head of his house, it is unclear if Gianluca, or any other relative, claimed the position.