Roman Catholic Cardinal. A native of the hamlet of San Giulio in San Damiano d'Asti, Giuseppe Gamba came from a family of modest share croppers, who was raised along with his two younger sisters by their mother Lucia, who upon the death of her husband worked on the fields and as a laundrywoman in order to support her family. Being unable to cover Giuseppe's seminary expenses, it was Don Giovanni Bosco, founder of the Salesians and future saint, who took care of his studies, who after learning of his wish to become a priest during a visit to San Damiano, arranged for him to enter the "Apostolo dei Giovani", at Valdocco. Pursuing his studies at the Seminary of Asti and later at the Pontifical Roman Seminary of San Apollinare in Rome, from where he obtained a doctorate in theology, he was ordained in Asti in September 1880. Vice parish priest of the cathedral of Asti between November 1, 1881 and November 7, 1884, when he was appointed its parish priest, he later, he became canon of the cathedral chapter and served as vicar general of the diocese from 1883 to 1901, when on December 16, he was appointed bishop of the diocese of Biella. Receiving his episcopal consecration on February 23, 1902 in Asti, he was successively transferred to the see of Novara on August 13, 1906. During his tenure he visited the entire territory of the diocese for three times. Named Assistant at the Pontifical Throne on July 10, 1917, he was promoted to the metropolitan see of Turin on December 20, 1923. Pope Pius XI created him cardinal priest in the consistory of December 20, 1926, receiving the title of Santa Maria sopra Minerva three days later. Known as "il Cardinale dei Giovani" due to his great initiatives towards the youth in Turin, future blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was among his favourite friends from this sector, with the Cardinal becoming a promoter of his life following his early death in 1925, authoring his first biography. Preparing an archdiocesan synod, he was taken ill after celebrating the traditional midnight Christmas mass in 1929, dying the following morning of a heart attack.