Gianfranco Marocchino was born on July 26, 1946, in the small town of Rueglio Canavese, in northern Italythe only son of Ida Chiartano, a homemaker, and Sirino Marocchino, an officer in the Arma dei Carabinieri, the Italian military state police. Tragically, Gianfranco’s mother died of pneumonia when he was only seven months old, and his fatherworried he would be unable to raise the boy adequately by himselfmade the decision to return to his native Crova to seek the assistance of his sister’s family. Over the next five years, Gianfranco grew up on a sprawling farmstead, where his life-long love for animals and his uncanny ability to forge unique relationships with them began to develop.
Two of his fondest memories were the morning his father brought a lamb into his bedroom to celebrate his birthday and the friendship he shared with a huge bull, unapproachable by anyone except Gianfrancowho enjoyed the privilege of rubbing his head. When his mother’s older sister asked that he return to Rueglio to spend time with her and her husband, Gianfranco began experiencing a new series of adventures, although it took a while for him to reacclimate to his birthplace. Although he and his father remained close throughout the years, and Gianfranco often spent time in Crova to help out with the family restaurant, he eventually came to deeply cherish his aunt Maddalena and his uncle Filippo as a loving, childless couple willing to go to great lengths to provide for him.
As he matured, G.