Rep. Marino's Biography

 

Tom Marino came to Congress in January 2011 in much the same way he arrived at other destinations throughout this life: with a sense of purpose, a clear set of goals, and a common-sense approach to finding solution to serious problems.

Though he had previously talked about running for Congress, it wasn’t until he found himself so frustrated by the direction the nation was taking that he declared himself a candidate in early 2010.

He emerged the victor of a three-man Republican primary race and went on to defeat two-term Democrat incumbent Chris Carney by 10 percentage points in November 2010.

With his two children at his side, he was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives on January 5, 2011, becoming part of the largest freshman class in decades.

Tom was re-elected to serve a second term in 2012, receiving 66 percent of the vote in the general election.

Marino maintained his standing on three House committees – Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security, and the Judiciary – and six subcommittees, two of which he serves as Vice Chairman.

The assignments are a good fit for the attorney who gained a reputation as a tough prosecutor, first as Lycoming County District Attorney and then as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

But when Congressman Marino tells working people that he knows where they are coming from, he means it.

That’s because he is never far from his blue-collar roots and the middle-class Williamsport neighborhood home where his mother still lives.

Tom, one of four children to Vivian Marino and the late Joseph Marino, is a second-generation Italian-American.  His father was a janitor and a fireman and his mother was a homemaker.

Tom married his high school sweetheart, Edie, and went to work in the manufacturing field.  It wasn’t until he was passed over for a promotion that he realized the importance of a college education.

So, at 30 years old, Tom sold his truck and Edie worked full time as he enrolled in college.  Tom earned his bachelor’s and law degrees in five years, attending the former Williamsport Area Community College, Lycoming College and Dickinson School of Law.

He practiced law for several years before being elected to two terms as District Attorney for Lycoming County.  He later served as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, where his name became synonymous with cracking down on organized crime and drug trafficking.  He was the first U.S. Attorney to attend the Top Gun PA X training classes and completed a National Security Seminar at the U.S. Army War College at the Carlisle Barracks.

Tom returned to work as a private-practice attorney for two years before deciding to run for Congress.

Tom and Edie have two adopted children, Chloe and Victor, and live in Cogan Station, Lycoming County.

A three-time cancer survivor, Tom is active in community events and enjoys reading, motorcycle riding, weightlifting, running, and spending time with his family.

Besides his committee work, Tom is involved with a number of congressional caucuses, and serves as Co-Chairman of the Cystic Fibrosis Caucus, Congressional Kidney Caucus, and the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth.