Dick A. Greco, Tampa’s 50th and 56th mayor, won his first election in 1967 and became the youngest Tampa mayor ever at 34. He beat incumbent Mayor Nick Nuccio. He ran again in 1971, winning another matchup against Nuccio, but surprisingly resigned in 1974 to take a job with the Edward DeBartolo Corporation, a real estate development company. He remained with the company for many years. In 1995 he again ran for the mayor’s office and won.

He was criticized for his close ties to people he met at his former job. To some, he saddled the city with millions of dollars in debt when he spearheaded the construction of the Centro Ybor Shopping Center and Raymond James Stadium. It wasn’t the only time he was called out for backing private development projects with city money. His administration was embroiled in another controversy involving the city’s housing director, Steve LaBrake, whom Greco refused to fire after LaBrake was accused of improperly awarding city contracts and taking bribes. LaBrake served time in prison on the charges.

Due to term limits, Greco was not eligible to run again during the following term and was succeeded by Pam Iorio. In 2010, he decided to try for a fifth term but lost the election to City Councilman Bob Buckhorn and subsequently moved to St Petersburg. He and his wife, Dr. Linda McClintock, returned to Tampa in 2020. He remains a fervent city cheerleader.