Louis J. Tullio (May 17, 1916 -– April 17, 1990) was the
Mayor of Erie, Pennsylvania
This is a list of the people who have served as mayor of the city of Erie, Erie County, in northwestern Pennsylvania.
Erie's city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor's office includes an elected city treasurer
A tre ...
, for six terms from 1966 until 1989. He was the first
Italian-American
Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, ...
elected to this position.
Biography
Tullio had a childhood goal of becoming Mayor of Erie. He graduated from the
College of the Holy Cross in
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...
, on a football scholarship, and received a master's degree in education from
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...
. After serving in the Navy in the South Pacific during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, he opened a restaurant in Erie and became a high school teacher and football coach, including as head coach of the professional
Erie Vets franchise. He lost the 1965 Democratic primary for mayor to
Mike Cannavino, who died 11 days before the general election. This allowed Tullio to replace Cannavino on the ballot and defeat Republican incumbent
Charles Williamson.
As mayor, Tullio was credited with helping slow Erie's decline as a manufacturing town and preserving it as a port city and commercial center. Regardless, during his long administration, the city of Erie declined in population and was plagued by urban deterioration. He easily won re-election five times, and unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 1976.
In October 1987, Tullio was diagnosed with
amyloidosis, a rare disease that also struck then-
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
mayor
Richard Caliguiri
Richard S. Caliguiri (October 20, 1931 – May 6, 1988) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1977 until his death in 1988.
Early career
Caliguiri was of Italian Arbëresh ancestry, and grew up i ...
and then-Pennsylvania governor
Robert P. Casey. Despite his illness, which forced him to cut back on his workload and schedule, Tullio stayed in office and did not appoint an acting mayor until November 12, 1989, shortly before the end of his term. He eventually succumbed to his illness in his home on April 17, 1990.
Legacy
The Louis J. Tullio Plaza, comprising
Jerry Uht Park
UPMC Park, formerly known as Jerry Uht Park, is a baseball park located in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is the home of the Double-A Erie SeaWolves of the Eastern League, the city's Minor League Baseball (MiLB) franchise. The SeaWolves are affiliated ...
,
Erie Insurance Arena
Erie Insurance Arena (originally known as Erie Civic Center and later, Louis J. Tullio Arena) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the downtown area of Erie, Pennsylvania. It is home to the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League and was the forme ...
, and the
Warner Theatre, is named after him.
References
Further reading
*deCourcy Hinds, Michael. "Erie Journal; A Mayor For Whom The Office Equals Life." ''The New York Times'' 27 Oct 1989, late ed.: A12.
*AP. "Ailing Mayor of Erie Resigns." ''The New York Times'' 12 Nov 1989, late ed.: A28.
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tullio, Louis J.
1916 births
1990 deaths
20th-century American politicians
Boston University School of Education alumni
College of the Holy Cross alumni
Gannon Golden Knights football coaches
Gannon Golden Knights men's basketball coaches
Mayors of Erie, Pennsylvania
American politicians of Italian descent
Deaths from amyloidosis
Sportspeople from Erie, Pennsylvania
Players of American football from Pennsylvania
Coaches of American football from Pennsylvania
American sportspeople of Italian descent