Local Author Embarking on 25-Stop Book Tour

Author Richard Muti, former mayor of Ramsey, wrote and published his fourth book, titled Essays for my Father: A legacy of passion, politics, and patriotism in small-town America, to mark the 100th anniversary of his father's birth. The elder Muti, a lifelong resident of Ramsey as well as a local business and political leader, instilled in his son a love of history, politics, and public policy—subjects that make up much of the book's content. 

Muti will be doing a reading and signing copies of his book, which debuted on Father's Day, at two local venues in the coming weeks: this Suday at the Mahwah Public Library at 2 p.m.; and Monday, July 8, at the Suffern Free Library, at 7 p.m.

Essays for my Father is a collection of essays about Gov. Chris Christie and New Jersey politics, the national political scene, unnecessary wars and wrongheaded government, rare displays of political courage, not-so-rare displays of political cowardice, an Italian-American heritage shared by 17 million Americans, public employee unions, and other public policy issues that challenge state and federal government.

Richard Muti's previous book, The Charmer: The True Story of Robert Reldan—Rapist, Murderer, and Millionaire—and the Women who Fell Victim to his Allure, co-authored with Charles Buckley, drew heavily on both authors' experience as career prosecutors. Available in both print and eBook editions, The Charmer was an Award Finalist in the 2012 USA Book News Best Book competition and is in its second printing. Vincent Bugliosi, Charles Manson prosecutor and author ofHelter Skelter, called The Charmer "one of the best, in-depth examinations of the criminal mind I have read in a long time."

Like his father, Richard Muti is a product of Ramsey public schools. He would later graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy and serve five years as a Navy pilot in the late 1960s. He left the Navy to accept a fellowship at Harvard Business School and obtained an M.B.A. degree in 1971. Five years later, he began attending Rutgers Law School four nights a week, while working in the real estate business. Upon getting his law degree in 1980, Muti was appointed an assistant prosecutor in the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office. He spent 19 years as a successful trial prosecutor, handling more than 2,000 cases and achieving a 99 percent conviction rate.

In 2000, Richard Muti retired from the practice of law and began teaching part-time at three New Jersey universities. Elected as mayor of Ramsey in 2002, Muti has been involved in politics, teaching, and writing ever since. After his Op-Ed pieces on public policy and the American cultural scene were accepted by The New York Times, The Record, and other media, Muti published his first book in 2008.

A five-state, 25-stop book tour for Essays for my Father has been scheduled, beginning June 30. The first stop on Sunday is a talk at the Mahwah Public Library.

The author lives in Ramsey with his wife Lorraine and their golden retriever, Miss Moneypenny. For more information about the author, his books and other writings, including blogs on national, state, and local issues, and a complete schedule of speaking engagements, visit his website.