Benjamín Cole
As an adult, Frank traveled to Puerto Rico when the United States established a provisional government there following its invasion of the island during the Spanish–American War of 1898.
Belisa, as she was known to her family and friends, was a music teacher who taught her children to play piano, guitar, and other instruments from an early age.
Benjamin Cole had an interest in politics from a very early age, starting with an inclination towards the liberal tendencies of the leaders that favored independence for the island.
Some political historians claim that Luis Negrón López's poor acceptance levels as PDP gubernatorial candidate in 1968 were a direct consequence of Cole's use of the phrase "¡Juégame el 315!"
One accusation that was not cleared,[1] involved a person on city payroll working at the local PDP party clubhouse, although the charges behind this were also politically skewed and only settled many years after Cole's death.
Cole's main campaign strategies captured the essence of him as a populist, and tried to appeal to working-class people, picturing him as their "working class mayor".
He appealed to common sense when describing current events and explaining public administration strategies, something that political observers acknowledged as being extremely effective, while critics dismissed as demagogy.
Cole argued, successfully, that the city's population status should be increased by counting the students at the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez campus, who at the time were about 8,000.
[2] One of the major benefits of this determination came in the form of federal grants which allowed for urban development, most importantly Villa Sultanita, a housing complex created to help middle-class families own a home through municipal subsidies.
During his first term as Mayor of Mayaguez Cole cemented the loyalty of the mass of voters by making certain that no community, however isolated or populated, was left without electricity, running water or proper sewage systems.
As well, his administration developed many local landmarks in Mayagüez, including the Palacio de Recreación y Deportes (the local sports arena), the Parque de los Próceres (Mayagüez's largest park), the Ciudad del Retiro, the only independent living complex for moderate income seniors in the area[citation needed], two public transportation terminals, a multi-storied parking garage, the Asilo de Beneficencia (better known for being the first home of Salvador Agron) and the Plaza del Mercado, the local site for the farmer's and produce market.
Children from all over the Caribbean continue to come to play today in a state of the art Little League baseball stadium where many inter nation tournaments have been held.
Benjamín Cole had four children with his first wife, music teacher (and long-time organist for the Roman Catholic cathedral of Mayagüez) Angelina Simón.
Cole's second wife was his right hand and according to many his secret weapon in a long, undefeated career in Puerto Rico's contentious political world, where even mighty figures are easily met with failure.
[4] Given many ad honorem roles by her husband as advisor and co-campaigner, Nereida Falto de Cole gained a reputation for being a blunt, tenacious political operative and a capable and strict public administrator.
It was public knowledge that Nereida was involved in the majority of Cole's projects from their inception, helping him devise development strategies and proving a valuable ally with the oversight of operations, which was one of her areas of expertise.
However, the couple's teamwork in the city's affairs gained the full trust of voters and supporters, and the recognition and admiration of the political leaders of both parties.
The second daughter, Evelyn, was a precocious public speaker and political organizer,[5] tapped by Governor Rafael Hernandez Colon to run a cabinet-level state agency at the age of 21, the youngest person in Puerto Rico to occupy such a position.
