Bodini was born in
Erba, Italy, and received an MA in engineering from the
University of Rome in 1968 and an MA in architecture in 1970. In 1972, he received an MBA from
Columbia Business School. He was an assistant professor at the School of Engineering of the
University of Rome. He was also an investment banker with
Blyth, Eastman Dillon & Co. before starting his own real estate investment company, American Continental Properties Group, in 1978. He was called the leading Italian real estate developer in the United States by
La Repubblica. Bodini was the subject of media attention in 2019, when a helicopter owned by Bodini crashed into an office building in Manhattan. Bodini is also active in the philanthropy scene, serving as chairman of the American-Italian Cancer Foundation, the Foundation for Italian Art & Culture, and San Patrignano USA. In 2021, he inaugurated the Bodini Center for Italian Philanthropy in
New York City that hosts a number Italian non-profits operating in the United States. == Personal life and family ==