Lautenberg was born in Paterson, New Jersey, to Mollie (née Bergen) and Sam Lautenberg, impoverished Jewish immigrants from Poland and Russia, who had arrived in the United States as infants. He was named after his maternal grandfather, Frank Bergen, and close family friend and Paterson community activist, Raleigh Weintrob.  When Lautenberg was 19, his father who worked in silk mills, sold coal, farmed and once ran a tavern, died of cancer. His mother then opened a sandwich shop to support the family.  After graduating from Nutley High School in 1941, Lautenberg served overseas in the United States Army Signal Corps during World War II from 1942 to 1946. Then, financed by the GI Bill, he attended and graduated from Columbia Business School in 1949 with a degree in economics. He worked as a salesman for Prudential Insurance and was the first salesman at Automatic Data Processing (ADP), a payroll-management company. He became the company’s CEO in 1975. He was the executive commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey from 1978 to 1982.

Lautenberg contributed to Democratic candidates for years. He donated $90,000 to George McGovern’s campaign for President in 1972, earning himself a place on one of Richard Nixon’s enemies lists. In 1982, he ran for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate. He faced nine other candidates: former State Banking Commissioner Angelo Bianchi, former Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello, former Congressman Joseph A. LeFante, labor leader Frank Forst, former Congressman Andrew Maguire, Richard McAleer, businessman Howard Rosen, Princeton Mayor Barbara Boggs Sigmund and Passaic County Freeholder Cyril Yannarelli. Maguire was the favorite but Boggs’ entry took votes away from him and Lautenberg spent a considerable amount of his own money. Lautenberg won with a plurality, taking 26% of the vote to Maguire’s 23%, LeFante’s 20% and Sigmund’s 11%.

The seat had been occupied by Democrat Harrison A. Williams, who resigned on March 11, 1982, after being implicated in the Abscam scandal. After Williams’ resignation, Republican Governor Thomas Kean appointed Republican Nicholas F. Brady to the seat. Brady served in the Senate through the primary and general elections but did not run for the seat himself. In the general election, Lautenberg faced popular Republican congresswoman Millicent Fenwick. She ran on a very progressive platform and polls in the Summer of 1982 put her ahead by 18 points. Even Lautenberg quipped that she was “the most popular candidate in the country.” Lautenberg spent more of his own money, eventually out-spending Fenwick two-to-one. He emphasised President Reagan’s unpopularity, reminded the voters that she would be a vote for a Republican majority in the Senate and called Fenwick, who was 72, “eccentric” and “erratic” but denied that he was referring to her age. He did however point out that she would be almost 80 at the end of her first term and was therefore unlikely to gain much seniority in the Senate. Lautenberg won by 51% to 48%, in what was considered a major upset. Brady, who had just a few days left in his appointed term, resigned on December 27, 1982, allowing Lautenberg to take office several days before the traditional swearing-in of senators, which gave him an edge in seniority over the other freshman senators.

In his first term, Lautenberg pushed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which was passed in 1984. The same year, he spoke at the Democratic National Convention, though he was overshadowed by New York Governor Mario Cuomo, who gave the keynote speech.

In the 1988 elections, Lautenberg was opposed by Republican Wall Street executive, former college football star Brigadier General Pete Dawkins, who won the 1958 Heisman Trophy for the Army Black Knights. After trailing in early polls, the Lautenberg campaign, headed by Democratic consultant James Carville, ran an aggressive advertising campaign enumerating Lautenberg’s legislative accomplishments and raising the possibility that Dawkins’ candidacy was intended solely as a stepping stone to the presidency, as well as pointing out his lack of roots in New Jersey. Lautenberg ultimately came from behind to win re-election, 54% to 46%. The race was named the 17th-nastiest in American political history by political scientist Kerwin Swint in his book Mudslingers: The 25 Dirtiest Political Campaigns of All Time.

Following his re-election, Lautenberg became a member of the President’s Commission on Aviation Security and Terrorism (PCAST), which was set up in September 1989 to review and report on aviation security policy in light of the sabotage of Pan Am Flight 103 on December 21, 1988.  Lautenberg was again re-elected in the Republican Revolution of 1994, defeating New Jersey State Assembly Speaker Chuck Haytaian by 50% to 47%.

In 1999, two popular Republicans were considering running against Lautenberg: the incumbent Governor Christie Todd Whitman and former Governor Thomas Kean. Polling showed Lautenberg trailing both of them. Lautenberg also did not get along with his New Jersey Senate colleague Robert Torricelli, and suspected that he was encouraging Whitman to run against him. Torricelli’s relationship with Lautenberg had been very rocky, especially when Lautenberg directly accused Torricelli of encouraging Whitman to challenge him for his Senate seat. Lautenberg raised his concerns in a meeting with Democratic Senators in 1999 and Torricelli responded by shouting, “You’re a ####### piece of #### and I’m going to cut your balls off!” Lautenberg was also less than enthusiastic at the prospect of fundraising for a grueling campaign and did not want to have to spend more of his own money.

He announced his retirement in 2000, but denied it was because he thought he would lose to Whitman or Kean, saying that he had been vulnerable in previous elections and “Mr. Vulnerable always wins.” His fellow Democrat and businessman, Jon Corzine, was elected to replace him.

Almost immediately, Lautenberg regretted his decision, especially after neither Whitman nor Kean ran, and he missed working in the Senate. He had considered reversing his decision and running for re-election but the entry of wealthy businessman Jon Corzine, encouraged by Torricelli, meant that he had no chance. A little over a year after he left office, Lautenberg was called upon again to run for the Senate. This time it was to replace incumbent Senator Robert Torricelli, who had won nomination for a second term in the June primary elections but was facing federal corruption charges and an uphill climb for re-election against Republican nominee Doug Forrester. When Torricelli dropped out weeks before the election, he was willing for anyone to replace him except Lautenberg. Former Senator Bill Bradley declined to run, as did Congressmen Bob Menendez and Frank Pallone, so Lautenberg was drafted.

Almost immediately, the New Jersey Republican Party challenged the replacing of Torricelli with Lautenberg, citing that the timing was too close to the election and, per New Jersey law, the change could not be allowed. The ballot name change was unanimously upheld by the New Jersey Supreme Court, who cited that the law did not provide for a situation like Torricelli’s and said that leaving Torricelli on the ballot would be an unfair advantage for Forrester. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the case. Lautenberg defeated Forrester in the general election, 54% to 44%, and took office for his fourth term in January 2003.

Back in the Senate, Lautenberg was once again considered one of the chamber’s most liberal members. He was pro-choice, supported gun control, introduced many bills increasing penalties for carjacking and car theft, and criticized the Bush administration on national security issues. He was heavily involved in various anti-smoking and airline safety legislation. He also co-sponsored legislation to increase drunk driving penalties. He was probably best known as the author of the legislation that banned smoking from most commercial airline flights. He also is known for authoring the Ryan White Care Act, which provides services to AIDS patients. Upon his return to the Senate, Lautenberg was the first U.S. senator to introduce legislation calling for homeland security funds to be distributed solely on the basis of risk and vulnerability.  In 2005, he became a leading voice within the Senate in calling for an investigation into the Bush administration payment of columnists.

When Jon Corzine resigned from the Senate to become Governor of New Jersey, Lautenberg became the senior senator again in 2006. This also made him the only person to have been both the junior and senior senator from New Jersey twice each. Lautenberg received an “A” on the Drum Major Institute’s 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues.  In 2007, Lautenberg proposed the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2007, designed to deny weapons purchases by persons that the government has placed on the terrorist watchlist. On June 21, 2007, Lautenberg passed Clifford Case for the most votes on the Senate floor of any United States Senator in New Jersey history.

In June 2010, Lautenberg compared the devil with Dubai, drawing stern criticism from some Arab American groups after making comments relating to the Dubai Ports World controversy. Lautenberg was quoted as stating, “We wouldn’t transfer the title to the devil, and we’re not going to transfer it to Dubai.” According to a Foreign Policy in Focus article, Lautenberg defended his remarks due to the UAE’s refusal to support U.S. policy toward Israel and Iran. According to the Arab American Institute, Lautenberg apologized in a letter upon meeting with Arab American Institute representatives.

On February 14, 2013, Lautenberg announced he would not seek re-election. In the press conference, Lautenberg joked, “is it too late to change my mind?” and joked that he would pray “something goes wrong” so he could be called on to run again.  At the time of his death from viral pneumonia at age 89, Lautenberg was the oldest serving senator and last remaining World War II veteran in the Senate.

Lautenberg died at NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan on June 3, 2013, of viral pneumonia. He was 89.  Lautenberg was returned to Washington by train. “Amtrak is honored to be chosen to carry him back to Washington, D.C. one final time,” wrote the chairman and president/CEO in a joint public statement of condolence, “thank you Sen. Lautenberg for your service to the nation.”

On June 6, 2013, his body lay in repose atop the Lincoln Catafalque within the Senate chamber at the Capitol. He was buried on June 7, 2013, with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.  The United States House of Representatives passed on September 20, 2013 a spending bill, H.J.Res.59 – Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014, which is being reviewed by the United States Senate. It includes a $174,000 tax-free death benefit payment to his widow. An annual salary payment to the widow or family member of a deceased lawmaker is a long standing tradition for the United States Congress going back to the 1800s.