Frank Rizzo Era
Frank Rizzo Era refers to the period from the late 1960s through the 1980s when Frank L. Rizzo dominated Philadelphia politics, first as police commissioner (1967-1971) and then as mayor (1972-1980). A larger-than-life figure who polarized the city along racial lines, Rizzo represented the backlash of white working-class Philadelphians against the civil rights movement, urban disorder, and liberal reform. As police commissioner, he built a reputation for aggressive law enforcement that supporters saw as tough-on-crime and critics condemned as brutal, particularly toward Black residents. As mayor, he promised to make Philadelphia "the safest city in America" while presiding over fiscal crisis, continuing deindustrialization, and deepening racial division. Rizzo remained a formidable political force even after leaving office, running unsuccessful campaigns for mayor in 1983 and 1987, and dying shortly before what would likely have been another mayoral run in 1991. His legacy remains contested: to supporters, a defender of traditional values and working-class neighborhoods; to critics, a racist who damaged the city's reputation and worsened its divisions.[1]
Rise Through the Police Department
[edit | edit source]Frank Rizzo rose through the Philadelphia Police Department during the 1940s and 1950s, earning a reputation as a tough street cop willing to use force against criminals and anyone else who challenged his authority. He became captain in 1959 and deputy commissioner in 1963. During the Columbia Avenue riot of 1964 and subsequent civil disorders, Rizzo's aggressive approach attracted national attention. Mayor James Tate appointed him police commissioner in 1967, making Rizzo responsible for public safety during some of the most turbulent years in American urban history. Rizzo reveled in the role, personally appearing at crime scenes and confrontations, cultivating media attention, and presenting himself as the city's protector against disorder.[2]
As commissioner, Rizzo directed aggressive policing that satisfied many white Philadelphians frightened by urban crime and civil unrest but outraged African Americans who experienced police brutality. Rizzo's officers conducted raids on Black Panther offices, confronted demonstrators with force, and developed a reputation for violence that civil rights organizations documented and protested. Rizzo dismissed complaints as politically motivated and defended his officers against charges of brutality. His popularity among white voters, particularly in South Philadelphia and the Northeast, made him a formidable political figure independent of the Democratic organization that officially controlled city politics.[1]
Mayor of Philadelphia
[edit | edit source]Rizzo won the Democratic mayoral primary in 1971, defeating the party organization's preferred candidate, and won the general election easily. His campaign appealed to white working-class voters who felt threatened by crime, racial change, and economic uncertainty. He promised law and order, opposition to school busing, and attention to neighborhoods that felt neglected by previous administrations. His coalition—South Philadelphia Italians, Northeast white ethnics, conservative Democrats across the city—represented a political force different from the reform coalition that had governed since 1951. Rizzo's victory marked a shift in Philadelphia politics toward racial polarization that would characterize subsequent decades.[2]
Rizzo's first term (1972-1976) coincided with fiscal crisis that constrained his options. The national recession, continuing deindustrialization, and declining federal aid created budget problems that worsened throughout the 1970s. Rizzo raised taxes while cutting services, angering both liberals who opposed his policies and conservatives who objected to tax increases. His administration was marked by patronage, cronyism, and corruption scandals—despite his law-and-order image, Rizzo's government was not notably honest. Relations with African Americans remained hostile; Rizzo's police department continued aggressive practices, and Black organizations viewed him as an enemy.[1]
Second Term and Defeat
[edit | edit source]Rizzo won reelection in 1975, but his second term proved difficult. The fiscal crisis deepened; Philadelphia narrowly avoided bankruptcy. Labor relations deteriorated, with strikes by city workers and teachers disrupting services. The MOVE confrontation of 1978, though it occurred under Rizzo's watch, foreshadowed the more catastrophic events that would follow. Rizzo attempted to change the city charter to allow himself a third term, but the referendum failed in 1978—a rare defeat that demonstrated limits to his power. Unable to run again, Rizzo left office in 1980 with his coalition intact but unable to continue governing.[2]
After leaving office, Rizzo remained Philadelphia's most prominent political figure. He switched to the Republican Party and ran for mayor again in 1983, losing the primary to W. Wilson Goode, who went on to become the city's first Black mayor. Rizzo ran again in 1987, again losing to Goode. He was preparing another campaign when he died of a heart attack in July 1991. His death removed from the scene a figure who had dominated Philadelphia politics for over two decades. The statue of Rizzo erected outside the Municipal Services Building became a target of protest and was removed in 2020 following the racial justice demonstrations that year.[1]
Legacy
[edit | edit source]Frank Rizzo's legacy divides Philadelphia to this day. Supporters remember him as a defender of working-class neighborhoods, a tough leader who stood against crime and disorder, and an authentic representative of white ethnic Philadelphia. Italian Americans particularly claimed Rizzo as one of their own who achieved the highest office. Critics see Rizzo as a racist who used law enforcement to oppress African Americans, who polarized the city for political advantage, and who represented the worst aspects of backlash politics. The truth includes elements of both: Rizzo did represent genuine concerns of white working-class voters, but he also exploited racial fear and presided over a police department that brutalized Black residents.[2]
The Rizzo era's effects persist in Philadelphia's political geography. The racial polarization of the Rizzo years shaped subsequent elections; voting patterns in mayoral races often followed lines established in the 1970s. The white ethnic neighborhoods that supported Rizzo have continued to vote differently from Black neighborhoods. The issues Rizzo exploited—crime, race, neighborhood preservation—remained central to Philadelphia politics. Understanding the Rizzo era is essential to understanding modern Philadelphia: its divisions, its politics, and its continuing struggles with race and inequality.[1]