Richard Caligiuri
| Richard Caliguiri | |
|---|---|
The commemorative statue by Robert Berks.
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| 55th Mayor of Pittsburgh | |
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In office April 11, 1977 – May 6, 1988 |
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| Preceded by | Peter Flaherty |
| Succeeded by | Sophie Masloff |
| President of the Pittsburgh City Council | |
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In office March 14, 1977 – April 11, 1977 |
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| Preceded by | Louis Mason |
| Succeeded by | Eugene "Jeep" DePasquale |
| Member of the Pittsburgh City Council | |
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In office December 21, 1970 – April 11, 1977 |
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| Preceded by | J. Craig Kuhn |
| Succeeded by | Michelle Madoff |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 20, 1931 Pittsburgh |
| Died | May 6, 1988 (aged 56) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Jeanne Caligiuri |
| Children |
David Caligiuri Gregg Caligiuri |
| Profession | City Parks Director; City Council President |
David Caligiuri
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.
Caliguiri was of Italian ancestry, and grew up in Pittsburgh's neighborhood of Greenfield. He started his public service career in the CitiParks department of Pittsburgh later running for city council in the early 1970s. Caliguiri first ran for mayor as a longshot in 1973 but lost the Democratic primary to popular incumbent mayor Peter Flaherty (so popular in fact that for the first time in city history no candidate opposed him in the general election). In his position as President of the Pittsburgh City Council, Caliguiri was appointed interim Mayor in 1977 after Flaherty was appointed Deputy Attorney General in President Jimmy Carter's administration. Caliguiri's departure from the City Council necessitated the 1978 special election which allowed independent Democrat Michelle Madoff her seat.
Caliguiri officially won the mayor's office in an election later in 1977, and was reelected twice, serving until his death in 1988. Under Caliguiri's leadership, Pittsburgh began its "Renaissance II" plan, an urban renewal and revitalization plan based on the "Renaissance" plan of former mayor and governor David L. Lawrence. The plan was generally considered a success (especially with the city's skyline) but was hampered by a sharp and permanent downturn in the city's economy and resulting population shifts.
During Caliguri's tenure, Pittsburgh's economy began a marked downturn during the deindustrialization of the 1980s with the decline of the large steel producers such as U.S. Steel and Jones and Laughlin. Long time industrial giants that called Pittsburgh headquarters such as Gulf Oil and Koppers both were victims of the 1980s arbitrage and hostile takeover climate. Gulf was absorbed by Chevron and Koppers by British firm Beazer, both resulting in the region losing several thousand high salaried corporate headquarter jobs. The period was also marked by Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse's run up to bankruptcy and reorganization in 1990 (later to become CBS and move to New York) and Rockwell International's move to California and eventually Wisconsin. By the end of Caliguiri's time in office, not a single major steel mill operated in a city once known as the "Steel City", and the city that once boasted more Fortune 500 corporate headquarters save for New York and Chicago, had fewer than ten.
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