23 Facts About Carmine DeSapio

Carmine Gerard DeSapio was an American politician from New York City.

Carmine DeSapio was the last head of the Tammany Hall political machine to dominate municipal politics.

Carmine DeSapio's father was an Italian immigrant from Campania, while his mother was a second generation Italian American.

Carmine DeSapio started his career in the Tammany Hall organization as an errand boy and messenger for precinct captains.

Carmine DeSapio was first elected a district captain in 1939, but was rejected by the leadership in the struggle between Irish and Italian interests for control of the organization.

In 1949, Carmine DeSapio became the youngest "boss" in the history of Tammany Hall, succeeding Hugo Rogers.

Unlike many previous Tammany Hall bosses, Carmine DeSapio always made his decisions known to the public and promoted himself as a reformer.

Carmine DeSapio reformed Tammany Hall's traditional sale of judgeships early in his role as Boss, reducing the cost of a position of a judge from $75,000 to $25,000.

Carmine DeSapio succeeded in shucking Tammany's notoriety and fashioning himself as a sophisticated, enlightened and modern political boss.

Carmine DeSapio favored well-tailored dark suits and striped ties and always looked as if he had just stepped out of a barber's chair.

In 1951, Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee concluded that Carmine DeSapio was assisting the activities of New York's most powerful mobster Frank Costello, and that Costello had become influential in decisions made by the Tammany Hall council.

Carmine DeSapio admitted to having met Costello several times, but insisted that "politics was never discussed".

Carmine DeSapio was accused of staffing New York City's government with clubhouse hacks.

Carmine DeSapio followed the Tammany custom of selling judicial nominations, although he did cut the fee that would-be judges were required to pay.

Carmine DeSapio steered valuable city contracts for streetlights and parking meters to the Broadway Maintenance Corporation, a company that, according to the State Investigation Commission, cheated taxpayers out of millions of dollars.

In 1958, Carmine DeSapio's image was severely damaged after he successfully manoeuvred to have his own candidate for Senate, Manhattan District Attorney Frank Hogan, placed on the Democratic and Liberal ticket.

Democrats who had once praised Carmine DeSapio now found it expedient to excoriate him.

Carmine DeSapio's leadership ended in 1961, and with it the dynasty that was Tammany Hall.

In 1963 and 1965, after Lanigan stepped down, DeSapio tried to retake his position as Greenwich Village district leader, but was twice defeated by another reform candidate, Edward I Koch, who would later go on to become mayor.

Carmine DeSapio regained some of his former popularity through his skill as a speaker.

Carmine DeSapio died at age 95 on July 27,2004, at St Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan.

Carmine DeSapio was interred in a private mausoleum at Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, Queens.

Carmine DeSapio was survived by his daughter Geraldine A DeSapio.