Joanne Mariani – First woman hired as a Trooper in the history of the Illinois State Police.

Joanne Mariani was born October 28, 1924, in Cumberland, Maryland. Mariani began her 10-week training course at the Illinois State Police (ISP) Training Academy on May 10, 1963, which operated on a seven-day work week, often training 14 hours a day. Mariani resided with family that lived near the ISP Academy, while her male classmates were quartered in barracks. Upon graduation from the ISP Academy, Mariani became the first woman Trooper in the Illinois State Police and was called a “Trooperette.” Mariani, who was a mother of three when she enrolled at the ISP Academy, had eight years of experience with the Evanston Police Department as a patrol officer who regularly dealt with crimes involving women, children, and young girls. Mariani was not provided a state police car and was assigned to District 3 as a Detective available for special assignments working in plain clothes until her resignation in 1968. Mariani passed away on July 7, 1992, at the age of 67.