Opera Singer. A coloratura soprano of sweet voice and large girth, she was perhaps her generation's premier exponent of her repertoire. The daughter of Italian immigrants, she was raised in San Francisco from early childhood and received her initial vocal training there; moving to Italy at 17, she studied with Gaetano Bavagnoli of Milan and made her 1927 professional debut at that city's Teatro Communale as the doomed Gilda of Verdi's "Rigoletto". An instant success, she was soon asked to assume her role in a complete recording of the piece which featured Luigi Piazza as the title Court Jester, Tino Folgar as the lecherous Duke, and the usually comic Salvatore Ballaloni as the hitman Sparafucile. Lina next traveled to South America where at Sao Paolo she took on two new roles, Violetta in Verdi's "La Traviata" and Rosina from Rossini's "The Barber of Saville" then over the next two decades became a fixture in Italy's principal venues where she was wise enough to stick with her signature pieces including Gilda, Rosina, Amina of Bellini's "La Sonnambula", and the tragic title heroine of Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor". In 1938 she received rave reviews at London's Covent Garden as Gilda and was heard in New York recitals, though the onset of World War II kept her from singing at the Metropolitan. While her vocal instrument remained in perfect shape Lina was gradually to experience problems finding work as her increasing obesity made it difficult for her to be credible at portraying love-struck young girls; she retired from the stage in 1947, continued singing on Italian and Swiss radio until 1960, then was for many years a respected teacher. Lina lived out her days at Gatteo a Mare with her husband tenor Primo Montarini (1895-1972) and died of an accumulation of weight-related medical problems. Much of her recorded legacy including complete preservations of "Rigoletto", "Lucia", and "La Sonnambula" remains available.