Nicola Lucchi came to New York for love. His wife was born in Manhattan and Lucchi, who is now the Managing Director of the Center for Italian Modern Art, met her almost by chance when he was still a teenager. They were pen pals at a time when social media didn’t exist.

After he graduated high school, his parents paid for him to travel to the United States. It was the year 2000 when the two of them met in person, and they have never left each other’s side again. That’s when it all started.