As the eldest child of Italian and English immigrants, Dan was the first member of his family born in America. Raised by a single mom from an early age, finances were often challenging. Even so, his family instilled in him a strong appreciation and recognition of the special opportunities America offers. As a result, Dan has made public service an important part of his life.
He enlisted in the Army National Guard after high school. While his military service was cut short due to a severe ankle injury, he found another way to engage in national service. As a Team Leader in the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corp, he led a team of young people in community-building projects throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Dan earned undergraduate degrees in education and history and became a certified secondary educator. Later he graduated with a law degree from Catholic University, where he ran the public interest auction, was given a community service award for his volunteer efforts, and was executive editor of their communications journal. Upon passing the bar Dan decided to serve the community again as a public defender focusing on juveniles and later as a county solicitor where he worked to make sure kids were safe in their homes and received a proper education.
Dan and his wife Kim moved to Mt. Lebanon in 2002 where he joined the Mt. Lebanon Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter. In 2011, he was awarded the Medal of Merit for his attempt to save the life of a three-year-old child from a devastating house fire. He went on to be elected as a municipal commissioner, and has volunteered is a board member emeritus on the board of Outreach Teen and Family Center and the Center for Theater Arts, and a current board member on the Hollywood Theater in Dormont.
Dan was elected to the House of Representatives in 2013 and currently serves on the Education Committee as the Co-Chair of the Sub-Committee on Special Education, on the Judiciary Committee as the Secretary, as well as a member of the Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness, Human Services, Children & Youth, and Policy Committees. Dan helped to form and now is Co-Chair of the Disabilities Caucus, and he is a member of the At-Risk Children & Youth, Government Reform, Early Childhood Education, LGBT Equality, Steel, and Fire/EMS Caucuses.