Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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simple as that." He went to Chamberlayne Junior College (now Mount Ida) for two years, then worked at his uncle's factory, which made men's and boy's outerwear. Shortly thereafter, at the age of 20, he met Angela Faletra, a beguiling brunette, on the tennis courts in Hyde Park. The two will celebrate their 47th wedding anniversary this October. In 1978, he got a job with the Boston Redevelopment Authority as a business relocation specialist. City lore has it that former Boston Mayor Kevin White dismissed him for political reasons. "It's the best thing he ever did for me. If he hadn't, I'd probably still be a bureaucrat," says Menino. When the city redistricted in 1983 and went to a 13-member City Council, Menino decided to run for the Hyde Park seat. "All my friends thought I was crazy," he recalls. "I was not a good speaker—I'm still not. I am not handsome. But I like people. And the [other] people in that campaign were in it for themselves." "My advice to the next mayor is to move the schools forward. Fix them. Be a cheerleader for them." —MAYOR TOM MENINO instance, the development of the South Boston Waterfront, the once derelict pocket of the city that he christened the "Innovation District," which has become home to more than 200 new companies in the past three years. He talks of the 1996 merger of the city's public hospital with Boston University's private medical center. "It took a lot of yelling and screaming at each other to get it done, but Boston Medical Center is now one of the foremost hospitals around." The accomplishment he's most proud of is Camp Harbor View, a summer camp for at-risk Boston children that he cofounded. Operated with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, the camp served about 800 kids last summer. "They get breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and it opens these kids' eyes to something different," he says. "A lot of kids have said to me that it changed their whole life." Still, there are things he wishes he had done better. Take the Boston Public Schools. The system has made some Mayor Menino preparing to throw out the first pitch of the season with Caroline Kennedy and Tom Fitzgerald at Fenway Park in 2012. RIGHT: Menino and Oprah Winfrey receiving honorary degrees at the 362nd Harvard University commencement in May. PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL MAROTTA/GETTY IMAGES (WINFREY); JIM ROGASH/GETTY IMAGES (FENWAY) LEFT: Menino won the race and was reelected four times, eventually becoming president of the Council. He was well liked and well respected, but his limited formal education held him back. A friend, Gerard Doherty—a downtown lawyer who was close to Ted Kennedy—pulled him aside. "He said, 'You're not going anywhere in the business world or politics without a college degree.'" And so Menino—who by then was 40-something with two school-age kids—enrolled at University of Massachusetts, Boston. Going to class with a bunch of teenagers was "different," he says, but getting his degree was "the most important thing I did." He graduated in four years with a degree in community planning. In 1993, when Mayor Ray Flynn was appointed ambassador to the Vatican, Menino took over as acting mayor. In June of that year, the polls had him running seventh in an eight-candidate field. But on election day, Menino beat State Representative James Brett, capturing 64 percent of the vote. Had he decided to run for a sixth term this year, he would have been a shoo-in. But it is time to go, he says. "I've been mayor for 20 years, and I've enjoyed every minute of it." LASTING IMPRESSIONS Today, when he talks about his legacy—which, incidentally, is not a word he likes to use—he points to some of his biggest achievements. He mentions, for impressive gains: In 2010, it was recognized as one of the most improved school districts in the world by McKinsey & Company, and its graduation rate is at its highest level since Massachusetts started keeping track. Yet some of the city's schools remain habitual underperformers. "Education is the most important thing a mayor does," he says. "My advice to the next mayor is to move the schools forward. Fix them; don't trash them. Be a cheerleader for them." Menino is sometimes criticized for his inability to articulate a bold vision for the city, but his supporters say that he cares more about execution than rhetoric. "The city works, and there are many cities in this country that don't," says Michael McCormack, who served on the Boston City Council with Menino. "I can cite some politicians with grand plans of what they want to get done, but Menino is more of a boots-on-the-ground kind of person." As the clock winds down on his final term, Menino is relishing every last minute as mayor. On weekends he takes his grandchildren to local events. "I want them to learn about the city, not just read about it in textbooks," he says. What's next for Tom Menino? He's not sure. After all, he's spent 20 years focused on one job. "I never thought about going anyplace else. People knew my heart was in the city. I wasn't using it as a stepping-stone for something else. I wanted to do my job. What you see is what you get." BC BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 120-123_BC_F_Menino_LateFall13.indd 123 123 9/17/13 11:39 AM