Changes

After several years in Laredo, Tatangelo became active in local politics. He considered himself a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], but, as an independent businessman, he was more pragmatic than partisan. "I had a summer house in Zapata and learned that they had a fire station manned by volunteers. I thought we could have that in Laredo," he told ''The Laredo Morning Times''. He recruited thirty-nine volunteers, and in 1973, a fire station was built on Del Mar Boulevard across from St. Patrick's Catholic Church.<ref name=lmtgarza/>

After several years in Laredo, Tatangelo became active in local politics. He considered himself a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], but, as an independent businessman, he was more pragmatic than partisan. "I had a summer house in Zapata and learned that they had a fire station manned by volunteers. I thought we could have that in Laredo," he told ''The Laredo Morning Times''. He recruited thirty-nine volunteers, and in 1973, a fire station was built on Del Mar Boulevard across from St. Patrick's Catholic Church.<ref name=lmtgarza/>

In the middle to late 1970s, some 75 percent of Laredo streets were still unpaved, and Tatangelo challenged the established order that permitted a low standard of achievement. Tatangelo said that [[Cranston, Rhode Island|Cranston]], Rhode Island, a city with which he was familiar because his last surviving sibling, Gilda T. Merolla, resided there, had at that time a population comparable to that of Laredo. Cranston had all paved streets and a $1 million budget. Laredo had a $3 million budget with miles and miles of dirt, dusty roads. Cranston also had to earmark funds for snow and ice clearance, an expense that did not apply to Laredo, with its [[semiarid]] climate.<ref name=lmtgarza/>

In the middle to late 1970s, some 75 percent of Laredo streets were still unpaved, and Tatangelo challenged the established order that permitted a low standard of achievement. Tatangelo said that [[Cranston]], Rhode Island, a city with which he was familiar because his last surviving sibling, Gilda T. Merolla, resided there, had at that time a population comparable to that of Laredo. Cranston had all paved streets and a $1 million budget. Laredo had a $3 million budget with miles and miles of dirt, dusty roads. Cranston also had to earmark funds for snow and ice clearance, an expense that did not apply to Laredo, with its [[semi-arid]] climate.<ref name=lmtgarza/>

Tatangelo attended Laredo City Council meetings and asked Mayor Martin why Laredo had so few paved streets, considering that it had three times the budget of Cranston. Martin, an ally of [[U.S. Senator]] and then [[U.S. President]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], replied simply that Laredo was "a poor city." Tatangelo then proposed to donate $6,500 to purchase paving equipment that city employees could use. The mayor and the council rejected Tatangelo's proposal. Tatangelo persisted and, for a full year, he attended every council meeting to discuss street paving. The council eventually agreed to a paving experiment in a six-block area of the San Ignacio neighborhood.<ref name=lmtgarza/><ref name=cbsreports/>

Tatangelo attended Laredo City Council meetings and asked Mayor Martin why Laredo had so few paved streets, considering that it had three times the budget of Cranston. Martin, an ally of [[U.S. Senator]] and then [[U.S. President]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], replied simply that Laredo was "a poor city." Tatangelo then proposed to donate $6,500 to purchase paving equipment that city employees could use. The mayor and the council rejected Tatangelo's proposal. Tatangelo persisted and, for a full year, he attended every council meeting to discuss street paving. The council eventually agreed to a paving experiment in a six-block area of the San Ignacio neighborhood.<ref name=lmtgarza/><ref name=cbsreports/>

Tatangelo, meanwhile, decided to run for mayor to challenge the status quo, or the so-called "Old Party" or the "patron system" or the "Independent Club", by which voters defer to one or two usually elected officials in the community with the expectation that those individuals will provide personal favors when needed. The Laredo leadership claimed that citizens preferred the patron system so that major political decisions would be handled on their behalf by trusted officials. Fernando Pinon, a former ''Laredo Morning Times'' editor, wrote a book ''Patron Democracy'', about this peculiar phenomenon. Tatangelo told ''The Laredo Morning Times'': "I would go to the city council meeting, and nobody would pay attention to me. I said, 'Maybe I should be inside, instead of outside looking in.'"<ref name=lmtgarza/>

Tatangelo, meanwhile, decided to run for mayor to challenge the status quo, or the so-called "Old Party" or the "patron system" or the "Independent Club", by which voters defer to one or two usually elected officials in the community with the expectation that those individuals will provide personal favors when needed. The Laredo leadership claimed that citizens preferred the patron system so that major political decisions would be handled on their behalf by trusted officials. Fernando Pinon, a former ''Laredo Morning Times'' editor, penned ''Patron Democracy'', about this peculiar phenomenon. Tatangelo told ''The Laredo Morning Times'': "I would go to the city council meeting, and nobody would pay attention to me. I said, 'Maybe I should be inside, instead of outside looking in.'"<ref name=lmtgarza/>

"Laredo was such a closed city. There was a clique, and if you were part of it, you were O.K., but if you weren't, then things were not so good," said Tatangelo. Martin always used the excuse of poverty in Laredo, but, Tatangelo challenged him: "I thought Laredo was a rich city that could do a lot of things."

"Laredo was such a closed city. There was a clique, and if you were part of it, you were O.K., but if you weren't, then things were not so good," said Tatangelo. Martin always used the excuse of poverty in Laredo, but, Tatangelo challenged him: "I thought Laredo was a rich city that could do a lot of things."