Therese "Tess" Gardella (December 19, 1894 – January 3, 1950) was an Italian American performer on the stage and screen whose stage persona was "Aunt Jemima." She performed on both stage and screen, usually in blackface. A native of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Gardella came to New York City in 1918, singing in dances and nightclubs and also political rallies.She died of diabetes in Brooklyn, New York, on January 3, 1950