On Tuesday night, longtime Senate Majority Leader and strident booster of Upstate New York Joe Bruno died of cancer in Brunswick, on the outskirts of Troy, in the district he represented in the state Senate for more than three decades.  

Joe Bruno was a street smart, rough and tumble kid who was the winner of Bronze Star in Korea (among other medals), and several boxing championships in the Army. He was an out-sized figure at the state Capitol with his shock of white hair, and his flair for the dramatic. One time, he rode a horse across the stage during the annual Legislative Correspondents Association gridiron show. Bruno’s personality was by turns pugnacious, schmoozy, and eloquent — and it served him well for 14 years as the Senate’s leader.

After he retired, author Peter Golden was asked by Joe to write his memoir, which was published in 2016. It’s called "Keep Swinging: A Memoir of Politics and Justice," published by Post Hill Press. Golden spoke with Capital Tonight’s Susan Arbetter.