"You'll never get over it, you son of a bitch," Sullivan jokingly retorted, according to Cyr.

Like his father, Walter Sullivan was a skilled practitioner of patronage politics.

Sullivan gave city jobs to people who needed them. "The city was the employer of last resort," Cyr says. "It's old-fashioned patronage politics--you call up your city councillor and he gets you a job."

The councillor's generosity knew few bounds. His son, city councillor Michael A. Sullivan, recalls that his father often opened his house to homeless people.

Walter Sullivan's appeal came from his broad popularity among people from all walks of life. Cyr says that because of his broad constituency, Walter was a "perennial ticket topper."

"In a city with great multicultural variety, Walter walked in all areas," Rafferty says. "He worked with affluent and poor constituents."

According to Connarton, the Sullivans hired minorities before it was in vogue.

"Diversity, minority employment--these were things the Sullivans were doing without fanfare," Connarton says.

In particular, Koocher says Walter was "revered" in the Jewish community.

Every year during the high holiday services, the Rabbi at the Tremont Street Synagogue in Boston would read a telegram from Walter.

One year, mayor Alfred E. Velucci sent a telegram in which he announced two dedications to Jewish citizens and Sullivan forgot to send one.

But the Rabbi skipped Velucci's telegram and read Sullivan's from the previous year.

"The family has connections that allows them to provide services far beyond the political," Koocher says.

Walter Sullivan's geniality also made him popular with other politicians. He served three terms as mayor (1968-9, 1974-5, and 1986-7), and city council meetings under his direction were always quick.

"Walter wouldn't get up and have a 45-minute debate," Rafferty says. "He had strong ideas, but if he had the vote, he'd do it, and if not, he wouldn't hold a six-hour grandstanding meeting."