In Il Volgo di Roma (1890), a collection of anecdotes of folk life in Rome, Francesco Sabatini (1852-1928) dedicated a chapter to Ghetanaccio, written by Filippo Chiappini (1836-1905), a poet who composed in the local dialect. Based on oral testimonies he collected, Chiappini relates short comic dialogues improvised by the glove-puppeteer, who was a famous performer in the streets and squares of the city.

Rugantino lives in a shabby attic room. He has no money left, his wife Rosetta is sick and their children are hungry. The landowner comes to their place and asks them to pay the rent. Rugantino tries to move him to pity by showing the state to which his family and him have been reduced. The landowner shows them the order to seize their property, then, moved by Rugantino’s children who cling to his clothes, he lets himself be touched: he extends Rugantino’s delay to pay by a quarter of an hour.