Linda A. Cartisano is a proud native of Chester, Pennsylvania, with a substantial Italian influence. Chester is important because it’s “a city of racial and ethnic diversity with residents of all income levels,” she said when she campaigned in 2009 for Common Pleas Court in Delaware County. “This has given me a perspective and history of dealing with people that allows me to see past the external appearance and deal with the person underneath.”

Italy is important because it’s half her heritage. Her mother was Irish, her father Italian, and his parents ventured out from South Philly every Thursday for dinners that strengthened their family bonds and helped instill her desire to grow and her work ethic.