Tonya Russo Hamilton

Tonya Russo Hamilton is a teacher and author in the Greater Portland area. Her first published work, Wrestling with the Devil: A Story of Sacrifice, Survival, and Triumph, from the Hills of Naples to the Hall of Fame, is an inspirational memoir detailing her father's journey from a small town in southern Italy to Brooklyn, New York, and eventually to Portland, Oregon. 

The second edition, Don't Cry in America: A Memoir of Unexpected Journeys, Family Love, and the Sport of Wrestling, is set to be released in 2025. Her beautifully illustrated children's book, Tino and the Pomodori, tells the story of a young boy who plants and harvests tomatoes with his grandfather every year in a small town just outside of Naples, Italy. 

Tonya enjoys traveling and volunteering in her local community. She also serves on the Board of Directors at Italian Portland, a 501 (c) (3) charitable nonprofit organization she founded that provides Italian cultural programming, events, and opportunities in the Greater Portland area.