Former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, who shepherded the city through the deadly Boston Marathon bombing and was the longest-serving mayor in Boston history, has died age 71 after a battle with cancer.
Menino, who stepped down early this year after 20 years in office, had been diagnosed with an advanced form of cancer. Earlier this year, Menino, 71, told said the cancer had spread to his liver and lymph nodes.
Menino took office at a tough time for Boston and much of urban America, facing high crime rates and neighborhoods that were struggling economically. He oversaw a resurgence of the city, with crime rates falling and influx of technology investment revitalizing the local economy.
He told voters in March 2013 that he planned to retire, after falling ill on a European vacation, which left him hospitalized for several weeks. His last year in office was a traumatic one for the city, with the Boston Marathon bombing attack killing three people and injuring 264.
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