Lina D' Aquanno was born in Trapani, Sicily on March 12, 1931 the daughter of a fisherman's family. As a young girl, she learned the strong Italian family values, and the way of Christian devotions.
In 1950, at the age of 19, she married a fellow Sicilian, Filippo D'Aquanno who had served in the U.S. Army during World War II. The couple settled in Monterey in the early 1950's.
Lina worked as a dressmaker. One of her first real jobs was to make five dresses for the 1951 Santa Rosalia Festival. She was very active in the Italian Catholic Federation and at church sewed the Priest's garments.
Lina has been active in helping to raise funds for various organizations. One of her first fund-raisers involved helping to raise $3,000, to help build the Parish Hall. She has been instrumental in leading and assisting in many different projects in the Italian Community. She was involved in Conventions for the Sons of Italy and was a member of the Parade of Nations.
In the early years, she helped, along with Peter Coniglio and the late Jerome Lucido, to reestablish the Santa Rosalia Festival. She oversaw fundraising for the purchase and the placing of the beautiful statue of Santa Rosalia, patron saint of Italian fishermen. The statue still stands and faces the harbor of Monterey. When Lina was chairperson of the Queen's Coronation committee, that committee team helped raise over $100,000.
She has been involved in many civic projects, too numerous to mention. In all her volunteer work she has devoted all her love and energy.
Lina and Filippo have two children, Anthony and Frank. Anthony is a Minor League Baseball Umpire and Frank is a Race Car mechanic. Both sons are married with children. In addition to her children Lina fostered four nephews.
She continues to sew every day, when she is not working in her garden, an activity that gives her much pleasure. Lina believes in the old Italian traditions of work, love of family and service to God. She has lived her life following these traditions.