Caroline was born in Fontechiari, Frosinone, Italy, immigrated to Canada in 1957 at the age of six and was raised in Sarnia, Ontario. She researched and co-authored the book One by One….Passo dopo passo… History of Italian Community in Sarnia Lambton…1870-1990. She has also written chapters in Nuova Luce Su Caboto, edited by Dr.Gabriele Scardellato. Her most recent book is titled: Memory and Identity: Re-Creating Cultural Identity after Immigration.

Caroline has an ARCT from the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto and B.A. Honours Specialization in Anthropology from the University of Western Ontario.

In 1974 she assisted in the start up of a family business, which is still successfully operating today. In 1985 Caroline sat on the advisory board for Multiculturalism to the Minister of Culture for the Province of Ontario. In 1980-1990 she founded and worked with hundreds of Italian-Canadian youth in folk groups and other cultural endeavors. She founded the Italo-Canadian Cultural Club/Laziali di Sarnia in 1987. In 2008-2009 she chaired the building committee for the Dow Centre for Youth, which realized the construction of a large center for youth at risk, in Sarnia.

Caroline was elected to municipal government in 1997 and she was elected as a Member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario from June, 1999 to October, 2007. In government she sat on Management Board of Cabinet for four years and was Minister of Culture. She also held the positions as Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier, to the Attorney General and to Children and Youth. She also chaired the women’s caucus and select committee on Democratic Reform.

Among many achievement awards received from the local and provincial levels, in 2002 she was bestowed the honour of “Cavalieri” from the Republic of Italy. She currently sits on the board directors of The Ontario Historical Society, is a member of the President’s Circle of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario and is chair of the executive of the Italian-Canadian Archive Project (ICAP) a National initiative. She is an advisor and executive member on two international initiatives on tourism and immigration research.