“In 1976, I saw the movie Rocky, and its story of an underdog boxer helped inspire me to run for political office. I ran for Borough Tax Collector for a four-year term. I was trying to unseat the incumbent, who was a well-connected vice-president of a local bank who held a 9 to 1 advantage in voter registration. We held backyard rallies and fund-raisers, so I met many people during the campaign. It still looked like a longshot. Then on election eve, I found out that I had achieved what was billed the greatest political upset in Lackawanna County in over a decade!”
Bill Rinaldi was born in Dunmore, Pennsylvania on July 8, 1945 and he was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy two years later. He was 4’11”, used a wheelchair, and was unable to do the many basic daily tasks that most people take for granted. He passed away in 2002.
