FACTBOX: Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi

(Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi returned to work on Monday, nearly one month after he was attacked by a mentally unstable man who broke his nose and two of his teeth. Here are some facts about the conservative leader.

* Berlusconi made his fortune during a property boom in Milan in the 1960s and 1970s. He moved into television and his family now owns Italy's leading private TV network, Mediaset. His interests also include Italian soccer club AC Milan. Combining smooth talk with a common touch, he is one of Italy's richest men.

* Born in Milan in September 1936, Berlusconi entered politics in January 1994, launching his own center-right party, promoting a "you can be rich like me" message. He became prime minister in May 1994 but survived in office for just eight months.

* Swept back to power by a landslide victory in 2001, Berlusconi promised to make Italy more business friendly and cut red tape. But change came slower than many hoped and he lost a parliamentary election in April 2006 by the narrowest margin in Italian history. He came back to power in 2008 with a manifesto that stressed law and order.

* Berlusconi has kept control of his media empire, laying himself open to accusations of a conflict between his political and business interests and leaving him vulnerable to numerous corruption investigations into him and his companies. He has never been convicted of any crime and faces the reopening of several trials against him after being stripped of immunity from prosecution.

* He spent much of last year facing lurid scandals surrounding his private life, including allegations of an improper relationship with a teenage model and parties with escorts. His wife asked for a divorce last year, saying she could not stay with a man "who frequents minors."

* On December 13, a man with a history of mental illness struck him in the face with a miniature replica of Milan's Duomo cathedral. Berlusconi's allies have blamed a "climate of hate," saying some opposition politicians and journalists were "morally responsible" for the attack.

* Berlusconi's popularity rating, which had been falling in previous months, bounced back above 50 percent after the attack. An ISPO poll published on December 20 put support at 55.9 percent, compared to 48.6 percent in mid-November, and said Berlusconi was riding a wave of sympathy even among opposition voters.