Marinoff was born in
Odessa in the Russian Empire (present-day Ukraine) on March 20, 1890. She was born into a Jewish household, and she was the thirteenth child and seventh daughter born to Mayer and Leah Marinoff, who died shortly after she was born. At age 6, Marinoff, who was nicknamed Fanny as a child, was smuggled on board an overcrowded passenger ship headed to America. She arrived in Boston where she lived undernourished and uneducated. At the age of 8, Marinoff was sent to live with her older brother, Michael. While living with him and his wife, Marinoff was tortured on a regular basis. She was locked in dark rooms, which were infested with rats, for hours on end. A year later, Marinoff made her stage debut as a little boy in
Cyrano de Bergerac at the El Itch Theater. This launched the beginning of what would be a 50-year career. In 1914, Marinoff married American writer and photographer
Carl Van Vechten. The two were introduced through mutual friends in the summer of 1912 in New York City. Shortly after meeting, they formed a strong bond. Within the first year together, Van Vechten told Marinoff that she was more than he could have dreamed of, saying she was "the only one that I have ever found who completely satisfies me." From the beginning of their relationship, Marinoff was aware of Van Vechten's
homosexual desires. Although Marinoff had attained great recognition before meeting Van Vechten, once married, she found herself living in Van Vechten's shadow. To many she was known as simply "Carlo's wife". The couple played a prominent role in the
Harlem Renaissance.
Nella Larsen dedicated her book
Passing to Marinoff and Van Vechten. ==Career (1903–1945)==