Tess Gardella

Therese Gardella (December 19, 1894 – January 3, 1950) was an American performer on the stage and screen whose stage persona was Aunt Jemima. She was of Italian descent. She performed on both stage and screen, usually in blackface. Tess was born in Glen Lyon, Pennsylvania, to John and Louisa Gardella. She came to New York City in 1918, singing in dance halls and nightclubs and also political rallies.

She died of diabetes in Brooklyn, New York, on January 3, 1950.

Vaudeville She was introduced to the vaudeville stage by Lew Leslie, who gave her the stage name of Aunt Jemima. She appeared at the Palace and the New York Hippodrome, and attracted very favorable reviews from Variety.

For her final performance, she returned to vaudeville, playing the Palace once more in 1949. She remained through the entire original run of the show, which ended in May 1929. She also returned for a 1932 Broadway revival that reunited most of the original 1927 cast. After Show Boat, Gardella returned to the vaudeville stage.