|
Clinton Manges (August 22, 1923 – September 23, 2010) was a controversial oil tycoon in Texas in the 1970s and 1980s. Manges was born in Cement, Oklahoma, but began amassing his fortune in South Texas in the early 1970s when he befriended Lloyd Bentsen, Sr. and political boss George Parr, the "Duke of Duval." In 1971 he bought a ranch in the county. He was a confidante and close friend of numerous officials, including the late Attorney General Jim Mattox, Garry Mauro and Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock Unlike most of his contemporaries, Manges was an unabashed progressive. In contrast, most Texas oil barons like Eddie Chiles, Bunker and Lamar Hunt, Clint Murchison, and Bill Clements were extremely conservative and supported Republican candidates. With his large fortune, Manges was soon one of the most prolific supporters of Democratic candidates in Texas. He would often donate $50,000 or more to various statewide campaigns. Paul Burka of Texas Monthly wrote of Manges in 1984, "By mastering the mysterious ways of South Texas, Clinton Manges has built an empire, amassed political influence, declared war on the state establishment—and left bitter enemies in his wake."〔 ==Personal life== Manges was born to migrant farm workers in Cement, Oklahoma. He dropped out of grade school to pick cotton. Later, he attended high school in Port Aransas and worked as a shrimper. After his wartime service in the Coast Guard, he moved to the Rio Grande Valley. He met Ruth Richmond, daughter of a prosperous local farmer, and fellow employee at the Rio Theatre in Raymondville; they married in 1946. At age 24 he suffered from tuberculosis. In the 1960s he worked in a gas station, where he met and impressed Lloyd Bentsen, Sr.; he subsequently represented Bentsen in his real estate dealings.〔 Manges didn't smoke or drink. He agreed to pay legal expenses of Duval County District Judge O. P. Carillo in his impeachment trial. He owned the Mongoose bowling alley, and later the Mongoose cotton gin. He experienced financial problems in 1961, did not pay debts, and wrote bad checks to the state of Texas. The Small Business Administration foreclosed on the loan with which he started the ginning business. In 1963, he was indicted for making false statements on the application for that loan. He pled guilty in 1965 and paid a fine of $2500.〔 Manges was convicted on federal charges of bribery and mail fraud in 1995, and after his appeals failed reported to prison in 1997. Charges of conspiracy to bribe the number two official of the Texas General Land Office were dismissed in U.S. district court for lack of federal jurisdiction.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Clinton Manges」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|