Tognoni was raised in Syracuse, NY and in Rhode Island. She attended a Catholic high school and was intent on pursuing a degree at Emerson College when she won Miss Teen Rhode Island, her first pageant. A judge of her second pageant, the manager of actress Halle Berry, encouraged Tognoni to pursue acting.

Tognoni moved to New York City, then Los Angeles. Work was light, so she secured a job at a tanning salon and took classes at a local college. During final exams, she auditioned and won the part of Kelly on ONE LIVE TO LIVE. Tognoni lived in New York for seven years, then returned to California. She moved back to Manhattan after snagging the role of Dinah.

Credit: soapoperadigest.com