In case you haven’t seen Gangs of New York, “Boss” Bill Tweed is one of the most corrupt figures in New York City history, which is saying something. He got into politics in 1850, had a system for large-scale graft set up by the end of the decade, became the leader of the Tammany Hall Democratic machine and one of the biggest landowners in the city (New York City real estate has always been a good way to launder money) in the 1860’s, took total ownership of the City in 1869…fell from power and died in prison of pneumonia in 1871, aged fifty-five. Never held an elected position more exalted than U.S. House Rep, and most of the time it was things like State Senator, City Alderman, Commissioner of Public Works. All politics is local, and if you know where the levers are and sit on the right committees, it’s the unimpressive-sounding positions that have the real power. Especially back then.
If you have seen Gangs of New York, Tweed wasn’t the weakling you might remember. He was a fireman when he was younger, and that was a time when fire departments were basically street gangs fighting for turf and protection money. Tweed himself apparently earned a reputation for being a nasty customer with an axe.
Continue reading “The Economancer – Chapter 4 – Boss Tweed”