Raymond Mariano
| Ray Mariano | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts | |
|
In office 1993–2001 |
|
| Preceded by | Jordan Levy |
| Succeeded by | Tim Murray |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 23, 1950 Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Antonia K. Mariano |
| Profession | Executive Director of the Worcester Housing Authority |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Raymond V. Mariano (born 1950) is American politician from Massachusetts. Mariano served as Mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts. Mariano is the former executive director of the Worcester Housing Authority.
Born in 1950, Raymond Mariano is the oldest of nine children, the son of an immigrant mother and a disabled veteran father. Mariano grew up in one of the state’s largest public housing projects, Great Brook Valley.
Mariano graduated with a BA from Worcester State College and holds an MPA from Clark University (1982). Ray has taught graduate and undergraduate courses at several New England colleges and universities. His teaching includes both government and management courses.
Mariano is married to Antonia K. Mariano, a teacher in the Worcester Public Schools. The couple has three children.
In 1974, at the age of 24, Mariano became a candidate for the Worcester School Committee placing 7th. Mariano was elevated to fill a term of a retiring member on October 1, 1977. Mariano was re-elected to the School Committee in 1977 and again in 1979.
In 1981, Mariano became the first member of the Worcester School Committee to ever win election to another office on his first try when he was elected to the Worcester City Council. In 1985, Mariano was elected, by his colleagues to serve as Vice Chairman of the City Council.
In 1993, Mariano was elected as Mayor of the City of Worcester, Massachusetts at the time the second largest city in New England. He was reelected in 1995, 1997 and 1999. In 1997, Mariano was elected by the largest proportion of any Mayor in Worcester’s history. (He was elected with the second largest percentage in the city's history in 1995.) Mariano did not seek reelection in 2001. Mariano held the position of mayor longer than anyone else in the City’s history under Plan E government, and is one of only two mayor’s in the City’s history to serve four consecutive terms.
As Mayor, Mariano has several accomplishments to his name. Mariano established a highly successful committee focusing on gang and youth violence and at-risk youth. Mariano personally led an effort in 2000 which created the largest summer jobs program in the City’s history creating more than 2000 jobs for at-risk young people. Mariano also created “Operation Clean City”, a city-wide beautification program, which won an award for innovation from the Massachusetts Municipal Association. Included in this effort was the Mayor’s College Clean-Up program which collected nearly 240 tons of illegal debris in 5 years and involved thousands of students from area colleges. Mariano also brought home the first federal grant for the rehabilitation of Union Station and led efforts to build a new convention center (now the Worcester DCU Center). Perhaps his most well-known endeavor, Mariano was mayor and led the City during the tragic fire that claimed the life of 6 local firefighters.
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