NORTH BERGEN AND BEYOND — President Obama nominated John O. Brennan, a career Central Intelligence Agency officer and close aide to the president, to be the nation’s next top spy on Monday. Brennan, a North Bergen native, attended the St. Joseph’s of the Palisades school in West New York before graduating with a degree in political science from Fordham University.
After obtaining a Master’s degree in government with a concentration in Middle Eastern from the University of Texas, Brennan joined the CIA and rose to become one of the agency’s highest ranking officers before being named Obama’s homeland security advisor. He was heavily involved in the Navy SEAL mission which resulted in the death of Osama Bin Laden.
Brennan’s former teacher and current Commissioner of Public Works in North Bergen Frank Gargiulo told NJ.com he was more than confident in Brennan’s ability to lead the CIA.
“Just hearing about [his nomination] is a thrill and I know that he is going to do a terrific job,” said Gargiulo.
Coincidentally, the former head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louis Freeh, was also a graduate of St. Joseph’s.