You’ve seen her on The Five, or maybe you remember her yelling—stylishly—into the camera during Justice with Judge Jeanine. She’s got that classic New York energy, a sharp tongue, and a tan that makes people constantly guess where she’s actually from.
Honestly, the ethnicity of Jeanine Pirro is one of those things that pops up in Google searches every single time she makes a headline. People assume she’s Italian because of the last name. Others guess Greek. Some even think she’s Latina.
But if you really look into it, the truth is actually quite different from the "Judge Pirro" brand most people recognize.
The Name Game: Why Everyone Thinks She's Italian
Let’s get the big one out of the way first. Pirro is an Italian name. If you go to Southern Italy, you’ll find plenty of Pirros.
However, Jeanine wasn't born a Pirro. She married into it. She was born Jeanine Ferris.
Her ex-husband, Albert Pirro, is the source of the Italian surname that has defined her public persona for decades. Albert was a high-powered real estate attorney (and a bit of a controversial figure himself), and while their marriage ended in divorce back in 2013, the "Judge Pirro" name was already a massive media brand. She kept it.
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Basically, the name that makes everyone think she’s from Sicily or Calabria is purely a marital carryover.
So, What is Jeanine Pirro's Actual Ethnicity?
Jeanine Pirro is 100% Lebanese.
Both of her parents, Nasser "Leo" Ferris and Esther Awad Ferris, were of Lebanese descent. It's not just a distant "great-great-grandfather" connection, either. Her mother, Esther, actually spent a significant portion of her childhood in Beirut before settling in New York.
She grew up in Elmira, New York, in a household that was deeply rooted in Middle Eastern traditions. We’re talking about a family that belonged to the Maronite Catholic Church, which is a primary Eastern Catholic group in Lebanon.
Breaking Down the Family Tree
- Father: Nasser "Leo" Ferris. He was a mobile-home salesman.
- Mother: Esther Awad Ferris. She was a department-store model.
- Sister: Mary Louise (Lulu).
Growing up in Elmira, she wasn't just "another American kid." She has spoken in interviews about how she felt a bit like an outcast in her early teens because of her heritage. Middle Eastern culture wasn't exactly "mainstream" in upstate New York in the 1950s and 60s.
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The "Albanese" Rumor: Clearing Up the Confusion
You’ll occasionally see weird snippets online—some even in old news reports—claiming she is "Lebanese-Albanese."
This is almost certainly a linguistic mix-up. The name Pirro (the Italian one) actually has roots that trace back to the Greek name Pyrrhos, which is also a common name in Albania. Because her ex-husband’s name has those ancient ties to the Balkan/Mediterranean region, some biographers got their wires crossed.
To be clear: Jeanine herself is Lebanese. Her ex-husband’s family is Italian. There isn't any evidence of her having Albanian heritage.
Why Her Background Matters Today
In the current political climate, Jeanine Pirro is a powerhouse of the American Right. It’s interesting to note that while she is a vocal supporter of strict immigration policies, she is the daughter of Lebanese-American parents and the granddaughter of immigrants.
She hasn't shied away from her roots, though. She’s often talked about her love for Lebanese food and music. In a 2020 interview with The961, she mentioned that despite being physically far from Lebanon, she feels "connected on a personal level" to the country.
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She has also been a significant figure for the Lebanese diaspora in the U.S. In 2025, when she was appointed as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, many Lebanese-American news outlets covered it as a major milestone for the community.
Quick Facts to Settle the Bar Bets
If you’re arguing with someone about her background, here are the hard facts:
- Is she Italian? No. Her ex-husband is.
- Is she Middle Eastern? Yes. Both parents were Lebanese.
- What is her religion? She was raised Maronite Catholic (an Eastern Rite of the Catholic Church).
- Was she born in Lebanon? No. She was born in Elmira, New York, on June 2, 1951.
Actionable Insights: How to Fact-Check Celeb Heritage
When you're trying to figure out a celebrity's background, don't just look at their current last name. It’s almost always a "stage name" or a married name.
- Check maiden names: Use sites like FamilySearch or Ancestry if you’re really nerdy about it, but usually, a quick look at their early biography or parents' names (like "Nasser" and "Awad" in Pirro's case) gives the game away.
- Look for religious affiliations: Heritage often hides in the church or temple they attend. Maronite Catholicism is a massive "tell" for Lebanese ancestry.
- Read the early interviews: Celebrities are usually much more open about their "uncool" or "different" upbringing before they become mega-famous and polished.
Jeanine Pirro’s story is a classic American one—a daughter of immigrants who climbed the legal and media ladder to become one of the most recognizable faces in the country. Whether you love her or hate her, her actual heritage is a lot more complex than just the Italian name on her TV graphic.
Next time you hear someone call her "the Italian judge," you can be the one to correct them: she’s a proud Lebanese-American from Elmira.