Cathy and Giorgio moved to Houston from their native Milano, Italy in 1978. High school sweethearts, they earned their college degrees in Milano, Giorgio a Master in Structural Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute, and Cathy a BA in Foreign Languages from the State University.
Coming from an established real estate development family in Italy, Giorgio founded the Interfin Companies in Houston, and has been responsible for some of our city’s most successful and significant projects: Four-Leaf Towers, Four Oaks Place, Uptown Park, Villa d’Este Condominium, Montebello, Vintage Park, Hotel Granduca and Belfiore. Cathy has followed her passion for style and retail with her company La Contessa, designing luxury handbags, and recently launching her line of Italian made jewelry, Mrs.B.
Through the years Cathy and Giorgio have supported and chaired events for a great number of artistic, medical and catholic institutions, receiving awards from the Italian-American Federation, the University of St. Thomas and HYSB as Youth Cultural Leaders of the Year. Cathy was honored as a Ten Best Dressed, Woman of Distinction and UCP-Outstanding Mother.
Giorgio has received the Torchlight of Liberty Award from the American Immigration Law Foundation, and the Houston Business Journal 2014 Landmark Lifetime Achievement Award. Giorgio is an honorary member of the Texas Society of Architects.
They have served on numerous boards, including Houston Ballet, Houston Endowment, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, UST, Regis School, Duchesne Academy and Strake Jesuit Foundation. Currently they are serving on M.D. Anderson’s Board of Visitors and the boards of Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Strake Jesuit, UT School of Nursing and Donne Di Domani.
Because of their involvement with many Catholic causes, by decree of His Holiness Pope John Paul II, Cathy and Giorgio were invested as Knight and Lady of Grand Cross in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre. For his contributions in promoting the cultural and business traditions of Italy in the USA, the President of Italy honored Giorgio with the title of Knight Grand Officer of the Italian Republic.
Family is always their highest priority; they enjoy their time with daughter Carolyn, her husband Jim and children, Massimo and Giacomo, and their son Alexander.