"The phone rings and my cashier says, “There’s someone on the phone says he’s the governor of Florida.’'"
West Tampa native Bob Martinez served as Tampa mayor from 1979 to 1986 and as Florida governor from 1987 to 1991.
Before that, Martinez, who has a master’s degree in industrial and labor relations from the University of Illinois, taught school, represented companies in labor relations, headed the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association and owned a popular Spanish restaurant. Currently, he is a senior policy advisor at Holland & Knight law firm. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Mary Jane Martinez, for 66 years.
Martinez, 86, talked with the Tampa Bay Times about his career and youth in Tampa.
Read more at the Tampa Bay Times