Stuart Kaplan, who offers in Tarot Encyclopedia II a short biography (p. 147/148), in which he refers to a church document, which notes a Stefano Gentile as heir of the late Marziano Rampini (Rampini was the family name of Marziano da Tortona; the Rampinis were of some importance in the late 14th/early 15th century in Tortona). From this Martiano must have been definitely dead at February 1st, 1425. Kaplan concludes, that at least at this time the deck must have been purchased, we see various possibilities, how Filippo paid after Martiano's death to the heirs, in thankfulness to the many services, that Martiano had done.
Martiano was praised as "great scholar". His personal relationship to Filippo Maria stays unclear, but it might be suspected from the general situation (Filippo Maria lost his both parents with 8 and 10 years), that he had partly father function to the young duke. The high (and unbelievable) price of 1500 ducatos for the playing card deck might explain from this vey specific condition as a final gift to a very important personal tutor.
(autorbis)