Today we’d like to introduce you to Marianna Gatto. Marianna, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. 

I’m a lifelong resident of Los Angeles, born and raised in Los Feliz and Silverlake, and from the time I was young, history, especially United States immigration history, was what ignited a spark in me. Being Italian American, I was particularly drawn to the period between 1876 and 1914, when 14 million people—roughly one-third of the country’s population—left Italy, fleeing social and political inequities, disease, and natural disasters. My family was among these immigrants, and their experiences, not unlike immigrants of today, truly humble me.