blunt-spoken janet reno serve eight years first woman u.s. attorney general authorize deadly 1993 raid branch davidian cult compound texas weeks job die monday age 78. reno die miami parkinson disease complications accord goddaughter gabrielle alemberte reno diagnose progressive central nervous system disorder 1995. reno serve unite state top law enforcement official democrat bill clinton presidency 1993 2001 become longest-tenured attorney general 20th century authorize seizure federal agents 2000 6-year-old cuban shipwreck survivor elian gonzalez relatives miami well government huge antitrust case microsoft corp 1998 janet reno american original public servant whose intellect integrity fierce commitment justice help shape nation legal landscape president barack obama say statement clinton say monday attorney general eight years presidency janet work tirelessly make communities safe protect vulnerable strike right balance seek justice avoid abuse power former miami prosecutor pick clinton first two choices job run trouble exhibit independent streak brusque manner often upset white house reno weather white house complaints team player seek many special prosecutors investigate case include whitewater affair involve finance president first lady hillary clinton reno 38 days attorney general job approve april 19 1993 fbi raid lead deaths 80 people include many children branch davidian cult compound waco texas federal agents early try serve warrant cult leader david koresh say messiah stockpile weapons four agents six cult members kill ensue shootout lead 51-day standoff negotiations impasse reno give go-ahead raid hear report child abuse compound raid heavily arm cultists end inferno engulf site make decision accountable buck stop grim-looking reno tell news conference late reno take personal interest political tussle elian gonzalez young shipwreck survivor whose mother drown flee cuba reno meet boy miami relatives battle keep return communist cuba father grandmothers want raise gonzalez homeland reno argue elian belong father act miami relatives defy u.s. government order hand authorize arm agents take boy relatives home predawn raid april 2000 reunite father take back cuba raid infuriate members miami cuban exile community call witch lackey cuban president fidel castro 1998 reno justice department bring huge antitrust case microsoft two years late federal judge order breakup software giant ignore rule use unlawful monopolistic practice case settle 2001 administration president george w. bush clinton republican successor term see favorable microsoft reno appear clinton 1995 truck bomb oklahoma city federal build kill 168 people vow seek death penalty perpetrators convict oklahoma city bomber timothy mcveigh 2001 become first federal prisoner execute since 1963. mcveigh say carry attack punish u.s. government waco cult raid another raid idaho comedians make fun reno time office lampoon appearance 6-foot-2 height 1.88-meter among ferrell impersonate saturday night live shortly leave office appear show next ferrell wear identical outfit sketch call janet reno dance party reno job long anyone except william wirt hold november 1817 march 1829. reno run governor florida 2002 lose democratic primary parkinson disease cause tremble arm shake get use shake tell tv interviewer reno bear july 21 1938 miami parent newspaper reporters attend public school miami earn chemistry degree cornell university 1960. receive law degree harvard three years late work lawyer miami janet reno first u.s. woman attorney general die 78