Tony Tripodi

Growing Up with a Crazy Italian Mother Tony Tripodi

This book is about an immigrant woman and her youngest son. Christina, from Calabria, Italy, came to America in an arranged marriage, experiencing the immigrant life in a strange land, and coping with the shame and degradation of mental illness. Through her strong will and determination, she rose from the despair of poverty to become a woman who owned and rented many properties. Christina's son, Tony, struggled to understand her inconsistent love and paranoid delusions. Influenced by her strengths and weaknesses, he developed from a frightened boy to a juvenile delinquent, to a serious student, and to a well-known scholar in social work research. Yet, to this day, he has yet to reach maturity in his interpersonal relationships.