Marco Rubio’s path to prominence

Here’s a glimpse of the energetic Marco Rubio’s compelling — and often surprising — life story, from “The Rise of Marco Rubio,” the upcoming biography by The Post’s Manuel Roig-Franzia.

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1. He knew hard times as a kid.

His parents, both from Cuba, often worked two jobs each in a variety of places. His father was a busboy and a bartender; his mother worked in a number of retail outlets, including K-Mart.

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

2. His family adored the Osmonds.

When young Marco lived in Las Vegas, he traveled with his family to the Provo, Utah, studio where the Osmond family recorded.

/ AP

3. His grandfather was ordered deported.

A U.S. immigration official ordered Pedro Victor García deported back to his native Cuba after he flew in without a visa in 1962. García had a low-level job in the new Castro government but said he was not a communist, and feared retribution if he returned. He was allowed to leave the hearing on his own and stayed in Miami, and the political climate changed in his favor. A 1966 U.S. law granted permanent resident status to Cubans who had arrived after the 1959 revolution.

/ "The Rise of Marco Rubio" by Manuel Roig-Franzia, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.

4. His wife was a Miami Dolphins cheerleader.

Jeanette Dousdebes (not shown), a Colombian American woman Rubio met when they were teenagers, posed for the first Dolphins cheerleader swimsuit calendar. She was also a Sunday school teacher.

Lynne Sladky / AP

5. He can toe a tough line on immigration.

Has said he would have voted for Arizona’s controversial “papers please” immigration law.

Charles Dharapak / AP

6. He knows his hip-hop

On those long rides between Miami and Tallahassee as a state legislator, he could pump up the volume. He’s a fan of Nicki Minaj and Snoop Dogg.

Alex Brandon / AP

7. He started early in politics.

He won his first election at age 26, as a West Miami city commissioner. He was barely out of law school and was living at home. Here Rubio, at left, is shown in 2002 with Florida Senate Democratic whip Lesley "Les" Miller Jr., who was speaking on a bill prohibiting farm labor contractors from charging workers for tools, transportation or recruiting fees. To the right is Mario Diaz-Balart, now a U.S. representative.

Bruce Brewer / AP

8. His brother-in-law made Vince Vaughn jealous

Carlos Ponce, left, a Colombian singing heartthrob, played a buff yoga instructor in the 2009 movie “Couples Retreat.” Also shown are Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman.

/ Universal Pictures

9. He's been foreclosed upon.

He and other state legislator, David Rivera, co-owned a home in Tallahassee that went into foreclosure. On March 8, he tweeted to his 96,000 followers that he might be the only U.S. senator still paying off his student loans. In this 2010 photo, Rubio, left, talks to reporters as Rivera looks on in Miami.

Alan Diaz / AP

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