[4] A life-long resident of Allegheny County, Onorato attended Penn State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in accounting in 1983.

He worked several years as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) before continuing his education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, earning a Juris Doctor in 1989.

Onorato and his wife Shelly reside in Pittsburgh's Brighton Heights neighborhood with their children: Kate, Emily, and Danny.

[10] Onorato subsequently withheld the funds raised by the drink tax from the Port Authority, demanding that the transit agency first restructure its labor costs.

He defeated State Senator Anthony Williams, Auditor General Jack Wagner, and Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel.