Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai - Cucurbit Breeding ...

of a large abandoned quarry to be restored to its original condition. At the same time, Gabriele founded a
consulting firm together with a lawyer and a marketing specialist to assist small and medium enterprises. In
addition, he joined his father and uncle in their activity of internet marketing of databases and services for
lawyers and cost-accountants. Eventually, Gabriele and his partners merged the two latter firms and initiated a
new company that combined internet-based databases and consulting expertise for the benefit of their clientele.
Gabriele also cooperated with the international consulting firm Ernst & Young for the development of an
internet-based consulting network for the Italian corporate clients of the firm.
During those years of intense professional activity, Gabriele advanced in his horse-riding skills, with
major focus in dressage, under the direction of famous trainers such as Giorgio Caponetti, Paolo Giani Margi,
and Fabrizio Tognacci. Meanwhile, his friendship with men and women of art and culture in Milano grew
stronger and his interests in art and literature resurfaced from high school times. At this point of his life,
Gabriele became involved in the promotion of the preservation of the historical, artistic, and natural treasures of
his country. Gabriele also developed skills and a profound passion for photography and traveled often to central
Italy and Venezia (Venice) to find subjects for his pictures. Gabriele ventured several times in learning to play
piano and guitar, but eventually "forcedly gave-up", or, truthfully, failed, and satisfied his passion for classical,
lyrical, and jazz music by becoming an abitueé at the Teatro alla Scala, the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi, and
the jazz-club Il Capolinea in Milano. Eventually, Gabriele became also a passionate scuba-diver and enjoyed
free-diving and spear-fishing in the Mediterranean Sea.
In December of 2000, while shopping for a papillon tie for New Year's Eve, Gabriele felt the need for
a sudden change in his life: a few weeks later, he left his country and his multiple activities, and moved to the
United States to build a career in agricultural research. In May 2001, he enrolled in the graduate program of the
department of horticultural science at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, to pursue M.S.
and Ph.D. degrees in plant breeding. Since then, he spent most of his time as a graduate research assistant and
student, but also continued his business activities in Italy and satisfied his never-ending desire for gardening.
He built a small garden behind his house, where there is no longer any room left for additional plants. His
garden lives and thrives in complete disrespect of all the conventions of proportion, size, and color-matching of
plants set by landscape designers, yet it astonishes and fascinates his visitors.
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