Dr. Gianni, Medicine Man

Giovanni Colafranceschi's adventures began in the small town of Pofi in the province of Frosinone in the Lazio region of Italy.

In this only authorized biography of his life, the author-a descendant of Colafranceschi-traces back his relative's life to its earliest beginnings, including his attendance at medical school in Rome and his untimely departure from Italy to the United States to search for his father.

The biography explains how World War I delayed Giovanni's return to his betrothed in Italy and why he never returned. It also explains how he found the love of his life, Maddalena, while working in coal mines and how they went on to have ten children.

Giovanni, however, would battle an addiction to alcohol for much of his life, which led to his divorce. Even after he was admitted to the hospital, Maddalena-who never stopped loving him-would not visit him because she could never forget that he'd abandoned her for the bottle.

Join a proud family as they look back at the life of one of their own and view his victories and failures through the prism of the immigrant experience in Dr. Gianni, Medicine Man.