William Banks

William Joseph Panebianco Banks (born July 28, 1949) was alderman of the 36th ward in Chicago from 1983 to 2009. Early career Banks is Italian-American; to avoid anti-Italian bigotry, Banks' father, currency exchange owner Vincenzo Giuseppe Panebianco, anglicized his name to James Joseph and added "Banks" to their surname. All his sons continued to use "P" or "Panebianco" in front of "Banks." Banks earned a B.A. degree in 1971 and a law degree in 1975 from DePaul University. Before his election as alderman, Banks served as Chief Research Aide and Legal Counselor to Congressman Morgan F. Murphy. Later, Banks served as Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago.