Former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has died at 71; he was longest-serving Boston mayor. Menino, who left office early this year, had been diagnosed with cancer.
Spokeswoman Dot Joyce says Menino died Thursday morning in the company of his family and friends. He had been diagnosed with advanced cancer in February 2014, shortly after leaving office.
Menino rode the support of minority communities, labor and others to election in 1993 after serving as acting mayor, ending decades of Irish domination of city politics. He was re-elected four times, making him the city's longest-serving mayor.
He was known to make verbal gaffes but used them to underscore his affable personality and to connect with constituents. He told them in his first TV ad, "I'm Tom Menino. I'm not a fancy talker, but I get things done."
Reaction has been coming in from across the Massachusetts political scene:
Reaction to the death of former Boston mayor Thomas Menino:
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren: "The City of Boston lost a great fighter today. Mayor Tom Menino used his big heart, his strong voice, and his fierce determination to shape every corner of the city. Bruce and I send our prayers to Mayor Menino's wife Angela, to his family, and to all Bostonians. Our mayor is gone, but he lives on in every neighborhood in Boston."
Former Boston mayor, ex-Vatican ambassador Raymond Flynn: "Boston is a better city because of Tom Menino and the people of Boston are grateful for his commitment and service. ... The day I left City Hall to become U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, I said, 'The City is in good hands.' Today, Tom Menino is in good hands."
DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz: "There are few figures so intimately connected with their hometown as were Tom Menino and Boston. He loved the city and its people, and devoted his life to them; for that, they loved him back."
State Attorney General Martha Coakley: "Today, Boston has lost the greatest mayor in its history. He was a friend and mentor, and a shining example to me and countless others of what it means to love and serve your community."
State Senate President Therese Murray: "No one will ever love Boston as much as Tom Menino did. I will dearly miss his friendship and, while we will always mourn his loss, Mayor Menino will live through Boston forever."
Boston University President Robert A. Brown: "Boston has lost one of its greats. Because Tom Menino worked so hard to make Boston a welcoming, vibrant, safe place to live and work, Boston University, located in the heart of the city, has benefited immensely."
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
