But his tenure would be defined, and some say ended, by the riots in April 1968 after the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., which left six people dead, 700 injured and thousands of businesses damaged or destroyed in Baltimore. Many believed Mr. D’Alesandro, who had been expected to seek reelection, became disillusioned after the riot and decided to return to private life. Mr. D’Alesandro, a father of five, said it was a financial decision — taking home $696 every two weeks as mayor just wasn’t enough to support his family.