Rafferty and others say Sullivan would never let policy differences interfere with personal relationships.

"We were on opposite sides," says Thomas H.D. Mahoney, a retired MIT history professor who served with Sullivan on the council for 8 years, "but we never had a personal disagreement. He was a pleasant, courteous councillor."

'A Model Around the Country'

In many ways, Edward Sullivan and his younger brother complement each other perfectly. Ed, now 73, is not quite as outgoing and not quite as forgiving as Walter.

"My theory is that if someone gives you his word, it's their bond," says Ed. "With Walter, they can get away with breaking it. With me, they can't."

The personality difference enabled Ed to help out his little brother. "People might have taken advantage of Walter's forgiving nature if it wasn't for Edward," Rafferty says.

While the court clerks' office has long been thought of as the site of rampant cronyism, Ed is also known for the innovative way in which he managed it.

"Ed has done some of the most innovative things," Cyr says. "His court is a model around the country."

Perhaps Sullivan's most popular innovation has been a one-day, one-jury system. Under the system, jurors are called in, and if they are not selected for a trial, they go home the same day.

At the same time, however, jurors can no longer receive exemptions from service.

Ironically, Ed Sullivan the politician hurt himself with this reform, Foster says.

"He used to get a lot of people out of jury duty," Foster says. "But this is a more fair process."

Ed says his court was the first in the state to computerize, the first to hire a Black assistant clerk, and the first to hire a female first assistant. Recently, Sullivan says he introduced legislation that would allow attorneys around county to access the court database so that attorneys do not have to to the court-house to look up records.

The clerk of the courts is also remarkably popular with his employees.

"He is great to the personnel," says Terrence W. O'Reilly, head administrative assistant to the clerk, who has worked for Ed for 28 years. "He bases his work on his relationships with employees."

O'Reilly campaigned for Sullivan in his recent successful re-election bid, and, he says, "Ed is the only person I would ever do that for."