Whatever happened to ... Mastio and his gorilla?
Editor’s note: Once a month, the News-Press will publish profiles on former newsmakers who have dropped out of the public eye. “Life Remembered” will return next week.
Gorilla politics just haven’t been the same since Richard Mastio left town in early 2001.
In the previous eight years, Mr. Mastio stirred an irreverent and uproarious brew of activism from his downtown business, Mastio & Co. at 802 Francis St. He was an earlier version of Ken Shearin — then-business neighbors and still friends.
He retired to Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif., a picturesque town bordering Pebble Beach golf course and the Pacific Ocean. He just returned from travels to Scotland and, yes, St. Joseph. His only work is for non-profits.
“I’m doing work to help other people and taking good care of my wife and puppies,” Mr. Mastio said in a phone interview.
A St. Joseph native (he graduated from Christian Brothers High School), Mr. Mastio moved back here from Omaha, Neb., in late 1992.
He had little respect for the powers that be and the trails of decay left behind the city’s mass eastward movement. His holy grail became eliminating Downtown parking meters, and he felt then-Mayor Larry Stobbs didn’t move quickly enough on his 1994 campaign promise to hacksaw the meters.
Mr. Mastio put up a sign on his property at the eastern entrance to Downtown featuring a gorilla named Lorenzo. He ran against Mr. Stobbs in 1998, and while Mr. Mastio came in first in the primary, Mr. Stobbs won in the regular election.
From 1998 to 2000, a sign on Mr. Mastio’s building read, “Welcome to St. Joseph — City of government retribution, petty agendas and narrow-minded leadership.”
Those fights drew plenty of attention, but in hindsight Mr. Mastio doubts if he changed anything.
“St. Joseph is a really good study in non-reality,” he said. “There are a lot of good people, however, there are quite a number of old families and maybe new families who think they have all the answers.”
He said he left mainly because he was able to retire, and he and his wife had been searching for a new home in the West. But after running down his thoughts on St. Joseph, he offered another reason for leaving: “To be real honest with you, I didn’t want to live in a city that’s so petty.”
“It probably sounds like I’m bitter,” he added. “I’m not bitter at all. I wish St. Joseph the absolute best.”
He chose Carmel because it’s “an idyllic little place. For a dinky little town, it has probably the most vibrant downtown you’ve ever seen. Notwithstanding the weather.”
And downtown Carmel has no parking meters.
Joe Blumberg can be reached
at joeblumberg@npgco.com.
This story has 8 comments. Click here to join in on the discussion.
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wow, this guy was right on with his insights into this town. too bad he left.
Posted by chris011 on July 18, 2008 at 12:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)Mastio left for the same reason so many of us do. We just get tired of dealing with an irrelevant city government, ill-informed media, and a population that is so downtrodden by their community hardships that they do not have the energy to care anymore. One of the Nation’s 100 Best Communities for Young People? Actual data show a very different story…much like the many other delusions inherent in St Joe life.
Posted by deb2007 on July 18, 2008 at 1:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)hey i have always said, need to get everyone in office both at the city and county level, and get new blood in. that is the only way to turn this city around.
Posted by heritage on July 18, 2008 at 1:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)chris, did you hi-tail it outta here? how long did you last? i actually think that downtown is starting to float ( sorry no pun on the proliferation of drinking establishments), but the politics have a way to go! it seems like there are a few ex-pats here in the N-P .
Posted by jayhawkbabe on July 18, 2008 at 2:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)The future of this city is so bleak that I am beyond happy to be leaving this downtrodden city. The new businesses that are coming into town are not doing anything for the advancement of the community. All they are doing is bleeding this city dry of it's resources and tax breaks.
With every box that I pack, I just get happier and happier.
Posted by Joe_Wright on July 18, 2008 at 3:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)jayhawk...come on, it's not that bad. Sure it could be better, but it's not that bad.
Posted by DocC on July 18, 2008 at 4:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)I think we have a wonderful town, however, like any town we do have some pettiness. Richard Mastio could have been a real asset to this community as mayor. Instead we choose to elect a man that saw only two types of people in this world; Highway Patrolmen and criminals. Mayor Stobbs lambasted Mr. Mastio for trying to swindle money out of the city with the new fangled “TIFF” loans. It is these same tiff loans that has promoted the largest development in our city in 50 years. We have Richard Mastio to thank for the idea.
Posted by JoeBlumberg on July 21, 2008 at 12:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)A note from the reporter -
Richard Mastio asked me to post this comment from him:
Sadly for St. Joseph, Missouri, the city's biggest export is and has been for a very long time your young people, now and in the past, and even still those growing up there today. If the city wants to keep it's vibrant youth, good jobs are the answer. Following the lead of Mr. Ken Shearin, your mayor and a man with a big heart and a very creative mind, in time can change the atmosphere and provide benefits to the city. Isn't it time that the 5 council members who regularly oppose Ken open their minds a bit and work with Ken to make a real difference instead of constantly giving him a hard time and opposing his every suggestion? An audit of the city finances and expenditures would be helpful too. Merging city and county government and removing some of the tax collector pressure might help too. Isn't it time to face the facts of the decay that infects your city of very good people and start to make corrections?! Your city has much history to be proud of, but it is the history you make today that will enliven St. Joseph and make it prosper and grow. Saying No, No, No to Mr. Shearin is not the answer! You fine people elected Ken, tell your council women and men to cooperate with Ken. He cares and so do most of you too.
Sincerely,
Richard Mastio
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