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That moment exemplified the calmness and composure that defined his surgical decision making.
He was equally at home in the sea. He loved scuba diving in front of Genoa’s outer breakwater, the
diga foranea, where he would fish for lobsters, aragoste. He owned a Boston Whaler, a small but
rugged boat that reflected his practical, no nonsense approach to leisure. His first wife, Claude, was
French, and from that marriage he had a daughter, Caroline. Following in her father’s footsteps,
Caroline became a gynecologist, a quiet continuation of the Scopinaro medical dynasty that began
with his father.

He drove fast cars and, latterly, a Porsche 993 Carrera 2, a masterpiece of pure engineering with no
electronic driving aids, only a mechanical limited slip differential, a six-speed manual gearbox, and
air and oil cooling. He flew his own airplane across Italy. He enjoyed good wine and long dinners
with his IFSO friends. He fought for his ideas with incredible strength and enthusiasm. With the same
style and enthusiasm, he appreciated the pleasures of life.

The Porsche, the Rain, and the Flight to Riyadh

In 2003, at the height of the Second Gulf War, Scopinaro was invited as a guest of honor to Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia. Security at airports was extreme, with hours long delays. He asked Francesco Saverio
Papadia, then a surgical resident who had worked with him for five years, to drive him from Genoa to
Milan Malpensa airport in his beloved Porsche 993, a car he rarely used. Papadia calculated that they
needed to leave by five or six in the morning. Scopinaro calmly said, “No, eight o’clock.” When
Papadia arrived to pick up Scopinaro, he discovered that the front boot lock was broken; more time
was lost driving to a Porsche dealer for a quick repair. Then a torrential rain began. On the
autostrada, Scopinaro drove flat out, rarely dropping below 160 km/h, peaking above 230 km/h.
Forty minutes later, they arrived at Malpensa. Scopinaro stepped out of the car, unflustered, elegant,
perfectly at ease, and caught his flight on time. The resident, still terrified from the near-death
experience, drove the Porsche back, barely engaging fourth gear…
That was Nicola Scopinaro: a man who could fall from the sky with a broken parachute and think his
way to survival, drive a rear wheel drive Porsche through a flood at 230 km/h and arrive unruffled,
and face a thousand surgeons with a lecture called “My Way” – without a hint of arrogance, only the
quiet confidence of someone who had truly lived. He was not reckless. He was fearless.

Choosing a Mentor: A Personal Recollection

Papadia recalls that he came to Scopinaro not through a romantic idea about his professorial stature,
but through rational calculation. Papadia’s father, a gynecologist who knew both Nicola and his
father, gave him four criteria for choosing a mentor: First, choose a young mentor, at most in their
fifties; surgical careers are long, and one needs someone who will protect and guide you for many
years. Second, he must be a true leader in his field, not a local celebrity but someone recognized
internationally. Third, he should not have too many assistants your own age competing for the same
cases so that you leave space to grow. Fourth, ideally the mentor’s co-workers will be 10-15 years
older than you. That way there is mutual gain: you will start doing the work they no longer wish to do,
and everyone benefits.
Papadia took a worksheet and applied these criteria to the professors at the University of Genoa.
Only one name emerged that fit all criteria: Nicola Scopinaro. Papadia went to Scopinaro and asked
to work under his guidance for his medical thesis. Scopinaro said yes without fanfare. Papadia
privately considered this a matrimonio di convenienza, a marriage of convenience and mutual
interest. Then, he got to know the man beyond the worksheet. Scopinaro was demanding but
generous, rigorous but warm, very funny in private, a world class scientist who never made you feel
small. What began as calculation transformed into genuine love and respect. He became not just a
mentor, but a friend. Scopinaro was indeed the optimal choice by every measure.

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