Louis J. Tullio

Who was Louis J. Tullio?

Louis J. Tullio was the Mayor of Erie, Pennsylvania for eight terms from 1966 until 1989. He was the first Italian-American elected to this position.

Tullio had a childhood goal of becoming Mayor of Erie. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts on a football scholarship, and received a master's degree in education from Boston University. After serving in the Navy in the South Pacific during World War II, he opened a restaurant in Erie and became a high school teacher and football coach. 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.