On the surface, Mary Cona was just another Italian girl from the North End. She was a devout Catholic, a supportive wife, a loving mother. However, diving into the details of her remarkable life through her eyes in her autobiography, “Destino: From Italy to Kansas City,” Mary was shaped through many hardships into an artist, entrepreneur, philanthropist and world traveler.

At the age of 94, her family convinced her to record her memories of growing up as a first generation immigrant born to Sicilian Mariano and Anna Cirabisi immigrants in Kansas City’s North End, known today as Columbus Park. Assisted by Becky Brinkley and her daughter JoAnna Cooper, she recalled the trials, blessings, and struggles against poverty and prejudice she faced.