The journey from Sicily to California was an opportune one for many Italians immigrating from “the old country.” Landscape architect and artist, Robert (Bob) La Rocca’s parents both immigrated to the U.S. at an early age, growing up in San Jose. Bob himself is a native San Franciscan, born and raised in San Francisco’s North Beach District, fondly referred to as Little Italy.
 
La Rocca describes those early days in the City this way: “I was born in San Francisco in 1938. My parents never spoke Italian to me because they believed in America and its future was to speak English. I learned a little Italian from my many trips to Italy. All my friends were Italian in school."