During World War II, he served in the United States Army with the European Occupational Forces.

[3] He ran for the State Assembly in 1969, running in Essex County District 11C with fellow Democrat Joseph Iannuzzi.

Orechio received 28,613 (54%) to 23,523 (44%) for Salerno and 1,061 (2%) for Martin Scaturo, a former Democratic Essex County Freeholder who was running as an Independent.

[7] He was re-elected to a fifth term in the Senate in 1987, defeating Thomas Zampino (later a New Jersey Superior Court Judge), 20,949 (50%) to 18,455 (44%).

Rather than run in the 36th District against fellow Democratic incumbent Gabriel M. Ambrosio of Lyndhurst, Orechio announced that he would not seek re-election to the Senate.