User:Celia Cerasoli

Ugo Tesoriere was a man who walked confidently in the direction of his dream.

He was born in Brooklyn in 1923 of Sicilian immigrant parents, Antonio & Ambrosina Tesoriere. His father was a tailor and his mother cared for him and their three sons, Ugo, Tulio and Silvio.

In the true immigrant tradition, Ugo’s parents did all they could to provide a good education for their sons, in order to insure their future success. Little did they know that Ugo would follow a path very much his own.

As a young man, Ugo attended City College in New York, and continued his studies at the Medical School of New York University. After his graduation he practiced as an anesthesiologist in New York City for 10 years. During this time he became very interested in literature and art. He thought he might become a writer, but wasn’t pleased with his efforts. He began collecting the work of Degas, Manzu and Morandi.

An epiphany occurred one day while he contemplated the purchase of another Degas. He knew he must stop collecting art, and begin his own journey as an artist. At age 37, he left for Rome, leaving his practice and his life as it was behind, to pursue the life of an artist.