Born in 1969 in Maglie (Lecce). He obtained a degree in Law in 1994. With a great passion for politics, he became Member of the Regional Council of Apulia in 1990 when he was 20. He was Vice-President of the Apulia Region from 1995-1998 and President from 2000-2005. He was the Regional Co-ordinator of Forza Italia from 2005-2008. He was a Member of the Chamber of Deputies several times (2006-2014), and in 2008, he was designated as Minister for Regional Policy. MEP June 1999-June 2000 and since July 2014.