Roberto Cassinelli
An Italian legal scholar and parliamentarian who ascended to one of the nation's highest judicial bodies, the Constitutional Court.
Born 1956 (age 70)·Italian lawyer and politician·Birthday: December 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
Roberto Cassinelli’s career is a model of steady, scholarly ascent within Italy's legal and political institutions. A lawyer by training, he entered the rough-and-tumble world of Italian politics as a member of the center-right Forza Italia party, serving multiple terms in the Chamber of Deputies. His work in parliament was characterized less by flamboyant rhetoric and more by a focus on constitutional and justice-related committees, where his legal expertise was most valuable. This deep grounding in constitutional law paved the way for the pinnacle of his career: election as a Judge of the Italian Constitutional Court. In this role, removed from daily politics, he contributes to the vital task of interpreting Italy's foundational charter and ensuring laws conform to its principles. His path from party politician to impartial arbiter on the bench reflects a lifelong engagement with the structures and rules that underpin the Italian state.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Roberto was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Roberto Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Roberto's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Elected as a Judge of the Constitutional Court of Italy, a position of supreme judicial authority.
- Served multiple terms as a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies for the Forza Italia party.
- Served on important parliamentary committees including the Justice Committee and the Constitutional Affairs Committee.
Did You Know?
He holds a law degree from the University of Genoa.
Before his political career, he worked primarily in the legal profession.
His election to the Constitutional Court requires a high level of consensus from Italy's political and judicial bodies.
“The law is the framework for order, but politics is the art of applying it to human needs.”
