Reflecting on his upbringing in Melrose Park, recently elected Willow Springs Mayor John M. Carpino says, “I realize when my grandparents immigrated they helped one another. The community came together and I never forgot the need to help others.”

Carpino was raised by his mother and grandmother, his grandfather and father having passed away while he was still a child. He attended Holy Cross High School and Triton Junior College before embarking on a 40-year career in law enforcement.