[1] The island is named after the Gorgons of Greek mythology, which were three sisters, Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale, who had hair made of venomous snakes that could turn any observer into stone.

[1] In the history of the penal colony, only one prisoner is believed to have "escaped"; whether or not they survived the long swim to the Italian mainland is not known since they were never found.

The Frescobaldis contracted with the penal colony to work the vineyard, providing training and expertise to inmates, and paying them a wage in exchange for the rights to sell the wine produced on the island.

[1] The wine produced at the penal colony is certified under the Denominazione di origine controllata classification and is labeled as Frescobaldi per Gorgona (or simply Gorgona),[4] which Frescobaldi says will retail for $66 a bottle and be featured on the wine lists of several Italian restaurants including a Michelin Guide 3-star rated restaurant in Florence.

Plans are underway to expand vineyard plantings on the islands and to increase the house-capacity of the penal colony to 136 prisoners.