Pietro Di Donato
Pietro Di Donato was an Italian-American writer and bricklayer born in 1911 to immigrant parents.
His autobiographical novel Christ in Concrete, published in 1939, was inspired by his father's tragic death at work.
The book's success led to a film adaptation and established Di Donato as a celebrated Italian-American novelist.
He wrote sequels, biographies of saints, and worked as a journalist and political activist.
His unique writing style blended street slang, biblical language, and Italian dialects.
Di Donato's work focused on the immigrant experience and working-class struggles in America.
He died in 1992, leaving behind an unpublished novel.
