@mynonnafina ― the story of the Nonna-granddaughter duo taking the internet by storm

When I first happened upon Tiktok and Instagram Reels sensation Nonna Fina (@mynonnafina), an account with a current combined following of around 660,000, the wisecracking 76-year-old’s playful repour with her 27-year-old granddaughter Maddie ― who is most often behind the camera filming their antics ― provided a refreshing break from the hyper-curated, marketing-saturated frenzy that one is often faced with when scrolling through short-form video content.

Amidst a barrage of all things flashy, filtered and aspirational, here was a dynamic that I, as a fellow 27-year-old Italo-Australian who is extremely close to my Nonna, could immediately relate to. And undoubtedly, that many Aussie children and grandchildren of the Italian Diaspora could too.

From Fina’s impassioned reactions to the schiffezza of canned ravioli and pineapple on pizza, to the clip which Maddie tells me was their first to go viral, where Nonna spells BBQ steak ‘BARBACKW STACK’ ― the pair’s videos transported me to my Nonna’s own cucina, conjuring memories of when we made her try Vegemite to disastrous effect, or when she’d spelled sour cream on a shopping list ‘SAWA KRIM’.  

Maddie and Nonna Fina’s content wonderfully distils the everyday humour and joy to be found in the cultural gaps traversed by first generation ethnic grandparents and their offspring brought up Down Under.

Considering the off the cuff relatability of Maddie and Nonna’s videos, it comes as no surprise to learn that initially, Maddie started filming her grandmother privately to share with family and friends:

“I have been filming Nonna for years – just funny videos to send to my friends. I would visit Nonna 3-4 times per week, but during Sydney’s 2021 lockdown I couldn’t see her and was really missing her.

Maddie and Nonna Fina. (Photo provided)

“ I was looking back at all the old videos, reminiscing one night and just decided to post a few for fun. It was a joke, and I was laughing with friends and family about it. Then the next morning I woke up and one video had gotten 200,000 views! I was so shocked, and never expected it to go viral and blow up like that ... Then I just kept posting more videos and it all grew from there.”

When Maddie first started posting, Nonna Fina still thought their videos were little scherzi being sent off to loved ones. It wasn’t until someone stopped her at the supermarket to ask if she was “Nonna Fina from TikTok” that she called Maddie to ask, “um, just how many people watch me?”

Hailing from the town of Guardia Sanframondi in Benevento, Fina migrated to Australia when she was just 22-years-old with her husband and six month old daughter Maria, at the time pregnant with her second daughter, Anna. Now living in Sydney, as a non-social media user, she couldn’t be more shocked by her online stardom.

“She still doesn’t quite get just how viral the videos have gone – but I try to explain it to her as best as I can! I think if you don’t use social media and have no idea how it works then it is a difficult concept to fully understand,” Maddie tells me.

Though Nonna Fina can’t completely comprehend the vastness of her virality, the real-world tangibility of the joy she is able to bring to viewers has had a profound impact on her:

“I enjoy seeing how much people love the videos and how happy they make them. I am shocked that they want to watch an old woman – but if it makes them happy then I will keep doing it! I like it when people stop me at the shops to say hello and chat, everyone is so lovely and it’s such a beautiful community,” Fina says.

Though it is what has drawn many people to her pages, Nonna’s ability to make people laugh and smile isn’t her only talent ― she’s also an absolute whizz in the kitchen, and the videos in which she shares her traditional Italian recipes continue to garner millions upon millions of views.

“I love her food and learning traditional Italian recipes off of her! It’s a great way to keep the culture alive for years to come and pass it down to my kids and future generations,” says Maddie when asked about Nonna’s culinary chops.

For Maddie, the far-reaching positivity that the light-hearted video content has been able to spread has been the greatest reward gleaned from the online accounts:

“The best part for me would be the love that the channel creates. I get messages from people, all over the world, saying the videos bring back happy memories of their grandparents who have now passed – and I love knowing that we can bring this kind of joy to people.”

But even as their follower count continues to grow, it’s a love of each other’s company that drives Maddie and Fina to keep filming.

“I love just having fun with Nonna, we don’t take ourselves too seriously. The videos started as a joke, and we still treat them like that,” says Maddie.

When asked what their favourite thing about one another is, the ease and affection of their relationship so perfectly captured in their videos is only cemented further by their responses:

“My favourite thing about Nonna is just how happy she is and how positive her outlook on life is. Every time I see her, she is always smiling and just radiating positivity – which is contagious, and I think it really shines through in the videos,” the 27-year-old continues.

(Photo provided)

And for Nonna:

“‘My favourite thing about Madeleine is that she always comes to visit and rings me every day! I also have a special place for her because she is my first and only granddaughter. I have three grandsons too – no one is my favourite, though. I love them all the same.”

Though Nonna cites only four grandchildren above, it’s arguable that she now has millions of honorary nipotini around the world. Through her far-reaching warmth, openness and fiery spunk that has captured hearts the world over, as the @mynonnafina Instagram bio states:

“She’s everyone’s Nonna now”.