newjerseynewsroom.com

New Jersey's Tom Murro meets former commander-in-chief at special book signing

BY DEANNA CULLEN

FOR NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

It was a lock-down situation at the Lincoln Triangle Barnes and Noble in New York City as former President Jimmy Carter made a special appearance Monday for the book signing of his latest book, "White House Diary." Secret Service agents flanked him, attendees were held at bay through an elaborate line system, and ready-to-be-signed books were passed through to the other side as though an invisible force field had been erected. Only one ordinary man infiltrated the system — NewJerseyNewsroom.com's celebrity correspondent Tom Murro, also known as the Celebrity Magnet.

It started with a very exclusive invite to the event — an invite so exclusive, in fact, that no other reporters were in attendance! Murro then proved his ability to get the money shot through some expert maneuvering. Though pictures and physical contact with Carter were prohibited, Murro dared the impossible and went in for a handshake and an exclusive photo.

Others dared the same, but to no avail. According to Murro, courtroom television toughie Judge Glenda Hatchett was no match for the Secret Service. After pushing her way to the front of a 200 person line and informing Carter of her identity, hoping to shake the president's hand, she was met with a NO and only able to score a photo of herself with the president in the background, not to mention a few glares from the agents at his side!

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Yet Carter was much more pleasant with Murro, who gave the former president a thumbs up and a wish of good luck with his new book.

"I think [Carter] would have been more agreeable if not for the people around him," Murro said of their meeting.

Despite the somewhat cool encounter, Murro can still claim that he was the only one, out of 200 plus people, to shake the former president's hand that night.