Career
He founded both the Oilfields Workers Trade Union and the All Trinidad Sugar Estates and Factory Workers Union, and was involved in the establishment of three other trade unions. He was also the first president of the Trinidad and Tobago Trades Union Council, from its foundation in 1938 until 1944. In addition to working for workers rights, Rienzi also worked hard for the rights of Indo-Trinidadians.
Rienzi also served four terms on the San Fernando Borough Council (three as Mayor of San Fernando) and represented Victoria on the Legislative Council from 1937-1944.
He then worked in the public service as a Crown Counsel. Krishna Deonarine was born in the village of Palmyra, just east of San Fernando.
His father, Deonarine Tiwari, squandered his inheritance, and was forced to move the family to San Fernando. Krishna attended Naparima College, but his family"s financial problems forced him to drop out during Form 3.
He found employment with J.C. Hobson, a prominent lawyer
Hobson encouraged Deonarine intellectually and lent him books from which he learned about Cola di Rienzo, fourteenth century Italian activist and patriot. In 1927 Deonarine changed his name to Adrian Cola Rienzi, naming himself after British magistrate Adrian Clarke and Cola di Rienzo. The Rienzi-Kirton Highway in San Fernando is named partly in honour of him.