and didn ' t belong in that world in the nightlife scene , and started taking tournament fishing more seriously .
Tell me about the tournament scene in Italy .
There are no professional tournaments like here , but we did have the MLF International Division and the B . A . S . S . Nation tournaments . I was able to win both of them and knew that I needed to jump because I won everything possible there .
When did you make the jump to America to chase your dream ?
In 2018 , I qualified for both the Toyota Series Championship and B . A . S . S . Nation Championship , and they were within a few weeks of each other . I knew that if I went , I would have two shots to make it happen and bought a Phoenix boat from Freedom Marine Center in Guntersville , Alabama while I was still in Italy .
I hadn ' t even qualified for the Toyota Series Championship at that point when I bought the boat and everyone said , ' this guy is crazy ,' but I did it .
I did poorly in the Toyota Series Championship but finished third in the B . A . S . S . Nation Championship and made the 2019 Bassmaster Classic .
How has your experience tournament fishing in America been so far ? In 2019 , I fished the Bassmaster Classic and it wasn ' t good . I ran out of gas and had my catch disqualified for being late . Making that event made me feel like I was ready to compete against the big boys , but I was not .
That whole season was difficult fishing the Bassmaster Opens , but I told myself it was just the first year and I should try it again .
2020 was better for me , even with the pandemic going on . I got two top- 10 finishes in the Toyota Series ( sixth at the St . Johns River and eighth at Ft . Gibson ) and almost got another – I finished 13th at Toledo Bend .
I finished sixth in the Southwestern Division and fourth in the Southern Division and double-qualified for the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit by fishing safe and ensuring I got enough points to become a professional .
Is professional bass fishing popular in Italy ?
All of the bass fishermen there follow Major League Fishing and [ B . A . S . S .]. Now they have me as a representative and they follow it even more closely .
It is nice for me to have the support , but I also feel a big responsibility . Everyone in Italy is cheering for me – not only in Italy but all of Europe . France and Spain have a lot of bass fishermen .
I feel the pressure because they expect big things . I am the only one from Italy to try this and the only one from Europe ever to fish professionally in America . That ' s a special thing for me .
Logistically , how are you able to manage a fishing career in a foreign country ?
I am here on a sporting visa because I am considered an internationally recognized athlete since I have been on the Italian National Team . It is a five-year visa . Before that , I had to go back and forth between events .
I also have an LLC here , an American driver ' s license and a bank account . I am becoming more American every day , and those things helped solve a lot of issues I had .
I am also staying with Salvatore Cicero and his family in Montgomery , Alabama between events . He is the owner of Transducer Shield and Saver . They are one of my sponsors but also like my family . He is also Italian , and we met at the 2018 Toyota Series Championship . I am blessed to have these people in my life . They treat me like their kid , which is nice sometimes .
Do you have a family back home ?
I have a 10-year-old son , Lapo , and a girlfriend , Federica , in Italy . The last year has been very hard with the pandemic and [ I ’ ve been ] unable to go back and see them . I missed their birthdays and Christmas and that wasn ' t easy . I spent Christmas with Salvatore ' s family , and that was so much better than being by myself .
My girlfriend is waiting for me to get established , and when we get married , she can come here with me . But it is a big step and I need to be able to make a living . That ' s a big responsibility . I can ' t fake it . I need to be able to provide for both of us .
What are your goals for the season ?
This season on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit has all of the importance in the world . I want to make a career as a real professional angler , and I am investing a lot of money . I want to make the TITLE and show people – and myself – that I am good enough .
What ’ s been the most challenging adjustment to life in America ?
For fishing , you have to fish very fast here ; there is no way around that . In Italy , we are very precise and methodical , but also very slow . You cannot do that here on a big lake . Even the world ' s best angler can ' t fish all day in an area with no fish and catch them . In Italy , the lakes are smaller , so you are almost always around fish .
I am learning that you have to fish more aggressively here and cover water to search for fish . You cannot fish gently like we do back home .
When not fishing , it has been challenging to do everything always by myself . Everything from fishing , arranging travel and doing my laundry – I do it all . And , if I have a problem , I can ' t just call mamma .
I do think living here has made me a better person . I have been forced to communicate with people and talk to guys I don ' t know . You have to be willing to talk to everyone , which has been different because we are not like that in Europe .
How ’ s Italian food in America ?
I think my laugh says it all . I am not going to say it is bad ; it is just fake . I see cheese with an Italian flag printed on the package and then it says ‘ proudly made in Wisconsin ’ next to it .
I do think America has the best meat in the world . My very favorite thing to get is a ribeye . If I go to a Longhorn Steakhouse , I am going to get a proper steak , but I ' ll eat it all . I ' m not too picky . I also enjoy the hamburgers , but I ' ve quit trying to find good Italian food here .
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