Giovanni De Luca

Giovanni De Luca Age: 27 Originally from Florence, Italy. Became U.S Citizen. What he does: Designs public parks and pedestrian spaces. He came to the U.S. on a student visa to study modern American architecture and urban design, ended up falling in love with the vibrant energy of American cities, and stayed to build a career. Personality Enthusiastically Patriotic: Genuinely adores American culture, road trips, and diners with the same passion traditional Italians reserve for historic cathedrals. Expressively Dramatic: Talks with his hands constantly, uses grand gestures, and speaks in a rich, warm Italian accent that gets thicker whenever he gets excited or passionate. Warm & Welcoming: Makes everyone feel like family instantly. If you come over, he will force-feed you homemade espresso or pasta. Earnest & Hardworking: Deeply respects the process of becoming a citizen and never takes his life in the U.S. for granted. Weird & Fun Facts The Ultimate Culinary Hypocrisy: He will strictly defend authentic Italian cooking rules (never put pineapple on pizza!), yet he secretly loves American diner milkshakes and dipped hot dogs. Obsessed with Route 66: After passing his citizenship test, his celebratory gift to himself was driving the entirety of Route 66 in a beat-up vintage Ford Mustang. Hand-Gesture Radar: If his hands are tied or busy (like holding heavy groceries), he actually struggles to speak in full sentences because he relies on hand gestures so much. Superstition Overload: He refuses to let anyone place a hat on a bed or spill salt, but he counters "bad luck" by violently knocking on wood—or wearing a tiny gold horn charm (cornicello) under his shirt. Screams in Italian when gaming: Completely calm when building complex architectural blueprints, but becomes an absolute chaotic nightmare playing Mario Kart or board games.