By Francesco Isgrò

Leon E. Panetta, a White House Chief of Staff during the Clinton Administration, and a familiar face in the Italian American community, has been selected by President-elect Barack Obama to head the Central Intelligence Agency. His selection was initially criticized by officials in the intelligence community and by legislators who cited Panetta’s lack of relevant experience.

But Obama immediately defended his choice of Panetta, pointing to his sterling reputation as a public servant, “extraordinary management skills, great political savvy and an impeccable record of integrity.”

Panetta is best known for his work on domestic issues. He was director of the Office of Civil Rights during the Nixon administration, a Congressman from California for eight terms, and director of the Office of Management and Budget under Clinton, before becoming Chief of Staff.

In recent years, he has co-directed the Leon and Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy in Monterey, Calif. In published articles, he has criticized the CIA’s use of torture in interrogations and the Bush administration’s broad interpretation of war powers. Panetta was also a member of the Iraq Study Group, which developed a plan for a gradual reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq.

An honoree at the 1997 National Italian American Foundation Gala, Panetta is the son of Italian immigrants from Calabria, who later owned a restaurant in Monterey, Calif. As a child, Leon often visited his father’s hometown, where relatives still remember him as studious and ambitious.

“Quando Leon veniva in Calabria spesso stava da solo, preferiva studiare, si capiva che avrebbe fatto strada,” his Italian cousin Domenico Panetta once said.

Panetta was educated at Catholic schools and in 1960 he received a degree in political science, followed by a law degree from Jesuit-run Santa Clara University. After service in the Army, he started his public career as a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill.

Panetta is married to the former Sylvia Marie Varni. They have three grown sons: Christopher, Carmelo and James, and five grandchildren. •

|CiaoAmerica.net|