My Mother Is A First Generation American.

Part Of Me Wanted To Get A Graduate Degree In Political Science. Had I Done That, I Suppose I Would Have Become A College Professor.

My Parents Grew Up In Poor Families Where Little English Was Spoken, They Both Went To College And Became Teachers. They Believed That Anything Was Possible With Hard Work, And They Particularly Stressed The Importance Of Education. They Instilled That Same Belief In My Sister And Me.

In Southern Italy, Where My Grandparents Had Lived, There Were Few Opportunities. The Society Was Static, With Rigid Social Classes. Poor People, Like My Grandparents, Had Little Chance To Improve Their Lives, No Matter Their Talents Or Willingness To Work.

I Attended The Public Schools.and I Have Happy Memories And Strong Memories Of Those Days And Good Memories Of The Good Sense And The Decency Of My Friends And My Neighbors.

When I Was Sworn In As A Judge Of The Court Of Appeals, I Took An Oath. I Put My Hand On The Bible And I Swore That I Would Administer Justice Without Respect To Persons, That I Would Do Equal Right To The Poor And To The Rich, And That I Would Carry Out My Duties Under The Constitution And The Laws Of The United States.