Marie Bonfanti was a 19th century ballet dancer whose New York City première came at Niblo's Garden

Niblo's Garden

Niblo's Garden was a New York theatre on Broadway, near Prince Street. It was established in 1823 as "Columbia Garden" which in 1828 gained the name of the Sans Souci and was later the property of the coffeehouse proprietor and caterer William Niblo. The large theatre that evolved in several...

 on Monday, September 10th, 1866. She then was the prima ballerina in The Black Crook

The Black Crook

The Black Crook is considered to be the first piece of musical theatre that conforms to the modern notion of a "book musical". The book is by Charles M. Barras , an American playwright...

at the same theatre, which premièred two days later. She appeared in Sylvia

Sylvia (ballet)

Sylvia, originally Sylvia, ou La nymphe de Diane, is a full-length ballet in two or three acts, first choreographed by Louis Mérante to music by Léo Delibes in 1876. Sylvia is a typical classical ballet in many respects, yet it has many interesting features which make it unique...

by Léo Delibes

Léo Delibes

Clément Philibert Léo Delibes was a French composer of ballets, operas, and other works for the stage...

 at the Metropolitan Alcazar concert hall on July 15, 1882. In August 1901 Bonfanti performed with Rita Sangalli at the Metropolitan Opera House

Metropolitan Opera House (39th St)

The Metropolitan Opera House was an opera house located at 1411 Broadway in New York City. Opened in 1883 and demolished in 1967, it was the first home of the Metropolitan Opera Company.-History:...

, during the inaugural season of ballet at the New York City venue. Her talent for expressionist dancing and her private life were covered widely from the mid 1860s until the early 20th century.

Bonfanti was married to George Hoffman, whose father George I. Hoffman, was sued by Jay Cooke

Jay Cooke

Jay Cooke was an American financier. Cooke and his firm Jay Cooke & Company were most notable for their role in financing the Union's war effort during the American Civil War...

, McCullough & Co., in the New York Supreme Court

New York Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...

 in Brooklyn, New York, in December 1876. The court proceedings dealt with a loan of $3,300 made to the younger Hoffman by his father.