Eddie Perez

Eduardo Alberto "Eddie" Perez (born 1957) is an American politician who served as the 65th mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, from 2001 to 2010. Prior to entering politics, Perez worked as a community organizer. Perez served as the first mayor who was also the CEO of the city, a setup known as a Strong Mayor. Perez was recognized in 2001 for his willingness to challenge the entrenched Hartford political machine and form a multi-party coalition focused on reforming city government. In 2017 he pleaded guilty to receiving bribes and criminal attempt to commit larceny in the first degree by extortion; both are felonies. Youth and early career Eddie Alberto Pérez was born in 1957 in Corozal, Puerto Rico, where he spent much of his childhood. In 1969 the Pérez family moved with Eddie and his eight siblings to Hartford, Connecticut, which at the time had a growing Puerto Rican community. The family moved 14 times between the Clay Arsenal and Frog Hollow neighborhoods while Perez was growing up. During his youth, he was a member of the Ghetto Brothers gang. Perez graduated from Hartford Public High School and holds an associate degree from Capital Community College and a bachelor's degree in Economics from Trinity College (Connecticut).