When Francis G. Slay decided to run for mayor in 2001, he did not announce his first mayoral campaign on the steps of City Hall, under the Arch, or even at one of those famous St. Raymond’s Wednesday lunches, where his father had been mixing insider politics with Lebanese food for three decades. He did it on Scanlan Avenue, in the South St. Louis backyard where he grew up.
The choice made perfect political and public sense: He was promoting the brand, the family name.
His father, Francis R., was a restaurateur, but he was also a politician, in the traditional, old-fashioned, big-city way. Though he served two terms as a state representative and was elected twice as the city’s recorder of deeds, it was at the city, ward, and street level where he found his calling. Real political power came from his position as committeeman from the vote-heavy 23rd Ward—a post he held for 44 years.
Francis R.’s father was Joseph, a Lebanese immigrant who came to St. Louis in the early 1900s and got himself elected alderman. He served only one term; with 13 kids, he couldn’t afford to throw all his energy into politics. He opened a restaurant on Gratiot Street and focused on food—as have several of his grandkids. Lisa is the head chef of one of Clayton’s most civilized spots, Remy’s Kitchen & Wine Bar. David ran a series of restaurants here—the Hampton Café, La Veranda, ZuZu’s Petals, Smith & Slay—before moving to California. (Now he owns Park Ave., classed-up comfort food halfway between L.A. and Long Beach.) And Guy Slay, owner of Mangrove Redevelopment, has helped restore the Grove’s architectural heritage and make it hospitable to great restaurants.
The second of 11 children, young Francis G. worked at the family restaurant, Slay’s on South Hampton, busing dirty dishes, stocking his mother’s Lebanese buffet, and tending bar. But he also finished law school. Francis R. never finished high school. He made a living in the restaurant business and a life in politics. “I’m very proud to be a politician,” he said when his son made his announcement. “The only way you get something done is through politics.”
Francis G. won the election—and three more. He has served four terms, to date, as mayor. No one else has ever done that—not Henry Kiel, not Raymond Tucker, not Vince Schoemehl.
In many ways, Francis G. is a polished modern version of his father—a classic ward politician, but above reproach. Like any family, the Slays had a few rough edges. Cousin Eugene Slay clashed often with Mayor Schoemehl over leasing and mooring rights along the Mississippi River, and for a time was convicted of fraud and influence-peddling to get a cable TV franchise for the city. His conviction was overturned in 1987 because the Supreme Court had overturned the law by which he was convicted.
But Francis G. is not his cousin.
The marvel of Mayor Slay is his ability, across 14 years, to avoid any real controversy. With recently departed Chief of Staff Jeff Rainford catching and sometimes creating the flak, the mayor has stayed out of the line of fire. Supporters point out that he’s had no scandals, brought us no shame. Critics say he’s unwilling to expend his political capital on important or complex issues, preferring to hang back and avoid conflict. One veteran politico put it this way: “Anytime you don’t try to do a lot, you don’t run into roadblocks.”
Also, there’s a bit of PR genius in the family: Publicist Laura Slay is the great communicator for Rex and Jeanne Sinquefield, and event planner Missy Slay has put together some blockbusters.
One issue Slay did take on was the rising cost of city pensions. He confronted the firefighters union—a tricky thing to do post-9/11—because future pension costs threatened the city’s solvency. In 2013, an agreement was reached with the firefighters to curtail future benefits.
Though the son followed in his father’s profession, City Hall during his father’s times might as well be a medieval relic compared to its 21st-century reality. In 2015, there are fewer patronage jobs to hand out, fewer jobs overall, and fewer people living in the city to pay taxes and fees than 40 years ago. Rising costs and aging public works loom on every horizon, and nonstop coverage of crime news more than cancels out any citing of declining crime statistics. In the last election, Frances G. spent $3 million—about six times what opponent Lewis Reed spent—and beat him by fewer than 4,000 votes. Yet the mayor’s announced his intention to run for a fifth term.
He’s come a long way from 6532 Scanlan, but he feels right at home in City Hall.
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