Watergate’s Unexpected Hero

The Life of Peter W. Rodino Jr.

In our divided political climate, finding a deliberative leader who takes seriously the legislative commitment to bipartisanship is difficult. 

With the United States dealing with one of its worst crises fifty years ago, an unassuming congressman from New Jersey stepped up as chair of the House Judiciary Committee. Under his leadership, the committee developed the gold standard for presidential impeachment in holding President Richard M. Nixon accountable for his crimes.

Watergate’s Unexpected Hero: The Life of Peter W. Rodino Jr. tells the story of a legislator whom Washington commentators assumed would cower under national scrutiny. Instead, his calm, assured demeanor during the televised proceedings served to fortify an uncertain nation.

Rodino continued to be a respected figure on Capitol Hill, praised for his intrepid work under pressure until he retired more than a decade later. Author Lawrence Spinelli, who served as Rodino’s press secretary, tells a much-needed biography that includes much more than Watergate. The result is a thoroughly researched, fair account of his mentor’s legacy.

On the golden anniversary of Nixon’s resignation, Spinelli brings new insights into much-covered territory. Using primary sources and Rodino’s personal recollections, Spinelli illuminates an extraordinary life that began in the gritty streets of Newark’s Little Italy and grew to a distinguished public career that carved a path from the New Deal to the presidency of Ronald Reagan. 

Rodino's journey included worked with influential political leaders to cover a wide range of public policy issues that are still relevant today, including race relations, immigration, voting rights, and economic equality.

$32.00
ISBN: 979-8-89138-081-3
SKU: 18-1224-01
Categories:Memorable Biographies and Memoirs, Political, Politics and Current Affairs, Policy, Political Theory and Ideology

“In 1974, ninety million Americans watched an unlikely group of big-city liberals, southern Democrats, and independent Republicans join together to hold Richard Nixon responsible for the Watergate cover-up. They were introduced to a new American hero—the committee’s chairman, Peter Rodino, who was catapulted to national fame and lauded for his calm leadership and bipartisanship during a time of crisis. Watergate’s Unexpected Hero: The Life of Peter W. Rodino Jr. tells this dramatic story along with the rest of the chapters in this great man’s life. Thanks to Dr. Spinelli’s painstaking and amazing effort, a new generation will be introduced to Peter Rodino and also be reminded of what can be achieved when our political leaders work together.”

—Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC’s Hardball for two decades, author of Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit

“This valuable book shows that heroes are neither born nor made but emerge from a steady combination of character and circumstance. Peter Rodino’s honorable life—and brave conduct when courage counted most—is a reminder that quiet decency is an essential quality in American politics, and one that we need now more than ever.”

—Todd S. Purdum, author of An Idea Whose Time Has Come: Two Presidents, Two Parties, and the Battle for the Civil Rights Act of 1964

“Peter Rodino finally has a biography worthy of his exemplary career. Watergate’s Unexpected Hero highlights Rodino’s leadership and courage during the crisis spawned by the Nixon presidency but also grounds Rodino’s New Jersey experiences, both political and personal, as the key to his character and his success. A must-read for anyone who seeks new insight into the Watergate crisis.”

—Lonnie G. Bunch III, founding director, National Museum of African American History and Culture

“Larry Spinelli does a masterful job of capturing the life and service of Peter Rodino, one of the most impressive and impactful leaders of the modern age. The Nixon impeachment inquiry that transfixed the nation was Peter Rodino’s finest hour but, as Dr. Spinelli’s book shows, his lasting legacy for good was much larger. The son of Italian immigrants, Peter Rodino enlisted in the Army at age thirty-two and fought in North Africa and Italy in World War II. He worked menial jobs for ten years to put himself through law school and embodied the American story. Readers of this book will learn the depth of his contributions to our country, in civil rights, consumer protection, antitrust regulations, fair housing, and many other areas before his crowning chapter of protecting our Constitution during Watergate. He was a champion for the underdog and spoke for those who did not have a voice—a humble man who never sought the spotlight but who was tough as nails when he needed to be. The life and service of Peter Rodino should be a model for future generations that people know about, and Dr. Spinelli’s book captures his remarkable journey extremely well.”

—William S. Cohen, former Secretary of Defense, U.S. Senator, and member of the Nixon impeachment committee

“A true American hero.”

—Robert Pinsky, three-time U.S. Poet Laureate, author of Jersey Breaks: Becoming an American Poet

Lawrence Spinelli

Historian, political scientist

During a distinguished career that spanned more than four decades, Dr. Lawrence Spinelli held a variety of senior-level positions in the legislative and executive branches of the federal government. His first job on Capitol Hill was as press secretary to Peter W. Rodino Jr., and he spent five years as director of communications for then-Senator Joe Biden.

Spinelli’s longest tenure in government was at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, where he served as the Director of Outreach and Public Affairs. He retired in 2017. Spinelli is author of Dry Diplomacy: The United States, Great Britain, and Prohibition. The first study of the diplomatic impact of Prohibition, Dry Diplomacy was praised by the Journal of American History for being “engagingly written and comprehensively researched.”

Spinelli was an assistant professor of political science at Drew University and a professorial lecturer at American University. He received his undergraduate degree from Drew, a master’s degree in government from Georgetown University, and a master’s degree and doctorate degree in history from New York University.

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