30 Facts About Irwin Steingut

Irwin Steingut was an American lawyer, businessman and politician.

In 1935 for the one year the Democrats had the majority, Irwin Steingut was Speaker of the Assembly.

Irwin Steingut stoutly defended the Democratic party machine in Brooklyn and when consistent with the Brooklyn machine's interests Tammany.

Irwin Steingut faced spirited primary opposition several times by independent Democrats but never lost a race.

Irwin Steingut was a key legislative ally of both Governors Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Herbert H Lehman and considered his roles in the passage of unemployment relief under the former and the creation of Brooklyn College his greatest legislative achievements.

Irwin Steingut was born on October 19,1893, on Manhattan's Lower East Side, the first of two sons to Simon and Lena Steingut.

Irwin Steingut's mother, formerly Lena Wolbach, was born in Kyiv, then in the Russian Empire.

Irwin Steingut emigrated to the United States, sometime before 1881, where he took up residence in the portion of New York's Lower East Side known as Klein Deutschland.

Simon Irwin Steingut obtained a position as a Tammany Hall captain and as a result an auctioneer.

Simon Irwin Steingut had been married earlier to a woman named Mary.

Irwin Steingut agreed but objected to the allegations of cruelty, telling all that his wife regularly beat him.

In Brooklyn Irwin Steingut attended and graduated from Public School 19, then at the corner of South Second Street and Keap Avenue in Brooklyn.

Irwin Steingut was reluctant to follow his father's political career and after graduating law school became a reporter for Associated Press.

Simon Irwin Steingut was twice prosecuted for unauthorized practice of law.

Irwin Steingut was sentenced to 30 days in jail, but his supporters raised the $250 fine in lieu of imprisonment.

Simon Steingut made it a practice to distribute Christmas baskets to the poor of Second Avenue, and even on his death bed he instructed his son Irwin to distribute the usual number of baskets.

Simon Irwin Steingut was a loyal Tammany soldier, and only one time acted contrary to Tammany interests.

That time was just before the divorce from Lena, and Irwin Steingut exacted revenge from the highly connected Harburger clan by arranging for the sale of the building which contained the Tammany clubhouse for the Harburger 10th district.

In 1912, Simon Irwin Steingut collected a group of Jewish bankers and realtors to form a corporation for the construction of a building on Second Avenue for two theaters as well as offices, lofts and a place for a dramatic school, for the production of Yiddish and German drama.

Irwin Steingut soon transitioned from a real estate to an insurance dealer business and move to Brooklyn, although he still listed the Manhattan address as his place of business right before his Brooklyn assembly campaign in his Board of Elections filing.

Irwin Steingut threw in with the local Brooklyn Democratic organization and obtained a post as deputy treasurer of King's County.

Irwin Steingut worked his way to chairmanship, all the while acquainting himself with men and ways of Tammany.

Irwin Steingut called for a cap on ticket prices to bouts and demanded an investigation into one of Harry Wills's fights to determine if it was "set up," Irwin Steingut won re-election in November 1922 by a wide margin.

Irwin Steingut introduced the bill he promised before his re-election to limit the price of boxing tickets.

Irwin Steingut introduced a bill permitting the use of portable movie projectors by non-licensed, private operators.

Irwin Steingut introduced a bill which called for an investigation into aeronautic stunts above populated areas and provided funds for legislative remedy.

Irwin Steingut made efforts to associate himself with Catholic charities.

Irwin Steingut continued to labor to build McCooey's Madison Club.

The third term that Irwin Steingut served was much like the previous two.

Irwin Steingut died in Brooklyn on September 26,1952, and was buried in Montefiore Cemetery in Springfield Gardens, Queens.