[1] Pirani was born in Melbourne, Australia, and his family emigrated to New Zealand in 1864.

Pirani served his apprenticeship as a printer under John Ballance on the Wanganui Herald in the late 1870s, and later became a journalist.

He would hold the seat until 1902, but the change in the Liberal platform under Richard Seddon led him to gradually break with the party.

He contested the 1902 election in the Hutt electorate, but was defeated by Thomas Wilford.

[4] While he stood again as an independent in Palmerston in 1905, Wanganui in 1914, and Wellington Central in 1919, he came second each time and never regained elected office.