Background

John Kelly was born on May 11, 1950, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was brought into the world as the son of Josephine "Honey" Pedalino and John F. Kelly. His family was religious and practicing devoted Catholics. His father came from Irish ancestry and his mother is of Italian descent.

When he was young, his father worked as a postal worker in Brighton to support the family. John grew up in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston where he got to experience the culture of the famous city.

Before he reached the teen age of 16, he decided to hitchhike to Washington state. He then rode the trains back home, including a freight-hop from Seattle to Chicago. After getting the teen angst out of his system, he then served for one year in the United States Marines. One of his first missions was bringing beer to Vietnam.

Career

Before becoming the White House Chief of Staff for President Donald Trump, Kelly previously served as Secretary of Homeland Security in the Trump administration.