a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1956; [ 8 ] she was the first woman in her family to gain a college degree. [ 15 ] She also passed the city exam to become a licensed school teacher. [ 15 ] Ferraro became engaged to Zaccaro in August 1959 [ 10 ] and married him on July 16 , 1960. [ 19 ] He became a realtor and businessman. [ 8 ] She kept her birth name professionally, as a way to honor her mother for having supported the family after her father's death, [ 1 ] [ 2 ] but used his name in parts of her private life. [ 20 ] The couple had three children, Donna (born 1962), John Jr. (born 1964), and Laura (born 1966). [ 19 ] They lived in Forest Hills Gardens, Queens , and in 1971, added a vacation house in Saltaire on Fire Island . [ 21 ] [ 22 ] They would buy a condominium in Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1983. [ 21 ] [ 23 ] While raising the children, Ferraro worked part-time as a civil lawyer in her husband's real estate firm for 13 years. [ 17 ] She also occasionally worked for other clients and did some pro bono work for women in family court . [ 24 ] [ 25 ] She spent time at local Democratic clubs, which allowed her to maintain contacts within the legal profession and become involved in