RootsTech 2025 virtual keynote speaker Marco Lui is a storyteller — a comedian, writer, director, voice actor and creator — who lives in Verona, Italy, a city of stories. From ancient Roman structures and statues to Romeo and Juliet to its hard-working people, the place he calls home has a rich history.
Snacktime stories
Lui was born poor. As a schoolboy, his family could not afford to send him with a snack to eat during recess. Using his knack for entertaining and telling stories, he created a solution.
Lui decided to put on a storytelling show during recess for students. The cost for a student to listen to the performance? — A little portion of the student’s snack. Lui recalled he never went without a snack after that.
“I think that each of us is born in the right time and in the right context to be able to develop your own talents or your own personality or one’s destiny,” Lui said.
As life continued, Lui learned gimmicks, sounds and dance skills from friends. In school, he excelled in writing. One day, he realized he could combine all these abilities — his gift for storytelling, his creative talents and his writing — into a career.
Family is first
Lui’s passion became his career, but there is something even more important to him: family. He and his wife have two “wonderful” daughters. He said having daughters has changed his life. He does not accept career opportunities that would take him far from home. He has made it a priority to be present for his family and does not want to miss a day of this growing time in their lives.
He also cherishes his relationship with his 92-year-old Aunt Pierina, the “last link of a generation.” Up until a few years ago, his Aunt Pierina lived alone at a distance from Verona, but she was aging and could no longer be independent. Lui and his sister felt they had to move her close to them to tend to her needs and be with family.
Looking after his aunt is important, even though it isn’t always easy. When she first came, she was not well, but her health improved after being around Lui’s and his sister’s children. He is grateful she is there to tell his children stories about relatives. He said knowing family traditions, cultures and DNA reflects ones’ own identity.
‘A wonderful book to read’
Lui’s father did extensive family history research on both his dad’s and mom’s sides and wrote many family stories. Lui figured no more needed to be done, but his understanding has changed. Who his ancestors were and how they lived are part of who he is. He wants to contribute to telling their stories.
Lui’s love for reading biographies prompted a thought.
“It would be cool to have a book about my family history,” he said. “It would be a wonderful book to read, really fascinating.”
Voices from the past
“Marco Lui: Family History Discovery Experience,” he read, holding up his tablet to show the FamilySearch page. Prior to RootsTech 2025, Lui had shared the family history he knew with FamilySearch. “I’m really excited to see what they put in here.”
“Oh, I know this one,” he clicked to open a familiar and unique story about his maternal great-grandfather, Lui è Pietro Perrucci and great-grandmother, Maria Susanna Messer.
On their wedding day, Lui read, Maria Susanna was too sick with the flu to come to the vital records office where she and Pietro were to be married. But that did not stop the marriage from happening. Two officials from the office came to her house for the wedding ceremony.
Lui continued reading about his great-grandparents: Over the next 10 years, they had four children. When World War I started, Pietro served as a soldier. A memory posted on FamilySearch illustrated Maria Susanna’s hope, saying she “waited every day for him to return from his military service.” However, after fighting in the battle at Monto San Marco, he disappeared in action and was presumed dead.
In another area of the FamilySearch report, Lui discovered an audio file of his grandfather and mother’s voices. Lui had foot problems as a child and wondered whether they were talking about him. He said his grandfather was a good shoemaker and wondered whether they were talking about adjusting his custom shoes made by an orthopedist.
“This is cool,” Lui said, listening. “I remember he was a general … [but] you could feel the affection he has towards his daughter, my mother, in trying to help her. This is very cool.”
Lui said his family has photos and some audio recordings in their home, and he was touched by hearing his grandfather’s voice in this recording — he could feel how much he cared.
A priceless heritage in discovering family history
Some of the stories on the report Lui already knew, some he did not. Seeing his family stories on FamilySearch, Lui reflected on the value of knowing more about his ancestors’ lives, happy and sad.
“Doing these things and making them available to everyone is a heritage that is priceless,” Lui said.
Lui’s message finished as he gathered at his sister’s home with his children and her family.
“Today, I discovered something which is truly incredible,” he told them. “And I want to show it to you because I know you will be amazed.”
Lui shared the discoveries and stories from FamilySearch. He has a hope about the stories his daughters will tell their children.
“I want them to remember the moments we have spent together as a family, … my parents and my aunt,” he said. “And when I die, I want them to say ‘nobody made me laugh like my dad.’”
