See thetrouble anddisgrace main page, as well as theFAQ and thePoliticalGraveyard privacy policy, for important explanations anddisclaimers. in chronological order | |  Charles F. Shilling — of Decatur,MaconCounty, Ill.Mayorof Decatur, Ill., 1901-04;Chargedwithtolerating vice, including gambling, Sunday liquor sales,slot machines, and immoral shows;tried in1902 and acquitted.Burial location unknown. | | William Warren Rose (1864-1931) — also known asWilliam W. Rose — of Kansas City,WyandotteCounty, Kan.Born in Oyster Bay,NassauCounty, Long Island, N.Y.,March12, 1864.Architect;mayorof Kansas City, Kan., 1905-06, 1906; defeated, 1897 (Fusion),1907 (Democratic); delegate to Democratic National Convention fromKansas,1908,1920.Member,Freemasons.Anousterlawsuit was filed against him in 1905 over hisrefusal toenforce the state'sliquorprohibition law;fined$1,000 forcontemptby the Kansas Supreme Court in 1907 for trying to hold office asmayor.DiedMay 4,1931 (age67 years, 53days).Interment atWoodlawnCemetery, Kansas City, Kan. | | John Looney (1865-1942) — also known asPatrick John Looney — of Rock Island,RockIsland County, Ill.Born in Ottawa,La SalleCounty, Ill.,October5, 1865.Lawyer;newspaperpublisher;indictedwith others in 1897 over a scheme todefraudthe city of Rock Island in connection with a storm drain constructionproject;convicted,but the verdict was overturned on appeal; candidate forIllinoisstate house of representatives, 1900; created and led acrimesyndicate in northwest Illinois, with interests ingambling,prostitution,extortion,and eventuallybootleggingandautomobiletheft;indictedin 1907 on 37 counts ofbribery,extortion,andlibel,but acquitted;shotand wounded by hidden snipers on two occasions in 1908; on February22, 1909, he wasshotand wounded in a gunfight with business rival W. W. Wilmerton; onMarch 22, 1912, afterpublishingpersonal attacks on Rock Island MayorHenryM. Schriver, he wasarrested,brought to the police station, andseverelybeaten by the mayor himself; subsequent rioting killed two menand injured nine others; resumed control of the Rock Island racketsin 1921; in 1922, he wasindictedfor themurderof saloon keeper William Gabel, who had provided evidence againstLooney to federal agents;arrestedin Belen, N.M., in 1924, and laterconvictedof conspiracy andmurder;sentencedto 5 years inprisonfor conspiracy and 14 years formurder;served 8 1/2 years.Irishancestry.Died, oftuberculosis,in asanitariumat El Paso,El PasoCounty, Tex.,1942(ageabout76 years).Burial location unknown. | | Hiram Charles Gill (1866-1919) — also known asHiram C. Gill — of Seattle,KingCounty, Wash.BornJuly 23,1866.Republican.Mayorof Seattle, Wash., 1910-11, 1914-18; recalled 1911; defeated,1912.Recalledfrom office as mayor in 1911 over hispermissive attitudetoward gambling and prostitution.DiedJanuary7, 1919 (age52 years, 168days).Interment atEvergreen-WashelliMemorial Park, Seattle, Wash. | | Edward Hull Crump (1874-1954) — also known asEdward H. Crump;Ed Crump;"BossCrump" —of Memphis,ShelbyCounty, Tenn.Born near Holly Springs,MarshallCounty, Miss.,October2, 1874.Democrat. Head, E. H. CrumpBuggyManufacturing Co.; president, E. H. Crump & Co. (involved inbanking,realestate, andinsurance);mayorof Memphis, Tenn., 1910-16, 1940; resigned 1916; proceedings werebrought for hisousteras mayor in 1915-16, based onchargesthat hefailed to enforce stateliquorlaws; when the ouster suit was upheld by the state supreme court,heresigned;ShelbyCounty Treasurer, 1917-23; delegate to Democratic NationalConvention from Tennessee,1924,1928,1932,1936,1940,1944;U.S.Representative from Tennessee, 1931-35 (10th District 1931-33,9th District 1933-35); member ofDemocraticNational Committee from Tennessee, 1936-45.Died in Memphis,ShelbyCounty, Tenn.,October16, 1954 (age80 years, 14days).Interment atElmwoodCemetery, Memphis, Tenn.  | Thomas A. McWhinney (c.1863-1933) — of Lawrence,NassauCounty, Long Island, N.Y.; Atlantic Beach,NassauCounty, Long Island, N.Y.Born in Brooklyn,KingsCounty, N.Y., about 1863.Republican. Served in the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War;postmaster atLawrence,N.Y., 1901-13;automobiledealer; member ofNew Yorkstate assembly, 1915-23 (Nassau County 1915-17, Nassau County 1stDistrict 1918-23);indictedin 1920 onchargesthat he and others hadtipped off gamblers to planned policeraids;triedand found not guilty.Member,Elks;RoyalArcanum;UnitedSpanish War Veterans;Foresters;Redmen;Orderof Heptasophs;Orderof United American Mechanics.Suffered astroke,and died, in Atlantic Beach,NassauCounty, Long Island, N.Y.,November25, 1933 (ageabout 70years).Burial location unknown.| |  Relatives:Married to Lidie Wright. | | | | Image source: New York Red Book1917 |
| | Robert V. Mundy (b. 1854) — of Bay City,BayCounty, Mich.Born in New Jersey,1854.Hardwarebusiness;mayorof Bay City, Mich., 1917-21.In March, 1921, a grand jurychargedhim withmisfeasancein office andneglect of duty, in histolerance of vicesuch as illegal liquor sales, prostitution, and gambling in Bay City,and called for the common council to remove him from office. Mundydisputed the grand jury's authority to make this kind of report, andon his motion, it was stricken from the court record. Nonetheless,his organization was defeated in the election shortly afterward.Burial location unknown. | | Harry M. Schriver — of Rock Island,RockIsland County, Ill.Mayorof Rock Island, Ill., 1911-15, 1919-23; on March 22, 1912, angryover personal attacks published by newspaper publisher and crimesyndicate bossJohnLooney, he had Looney brought to the Rock Island police stationand gave him aseverebeating; during a riot on March 27, a snipershotat the mayor in his office;convictedin 1923 onvice protection conspiracycharges.Burial location unknown. | | Peter C. Jezewski (1883-1960) — of Buffalo,ErieCounty, N.Y.; Hamtramck,WayneCounty, Mich.Born in New York,November22, 1883.Republican.Pharmacist;member ofNew Yorkstate assembly from Erie County 6th District, 1915-16; defeated,1916;mayorof Hamtramck, Mich., 1922-26, 1932-34; defeated, 1926, 1934.Convictedofbootleggingand othervice crimes about 1926, and spent a year inLeavenworth federalprison.Died in Hamtramck,WayneCounty, Mich.,December1, 1960 (age77 years, 9days).Interment atMt.Olivet Cemetery, Detroit, Mich. | | Frank Frankel (1886-1975) — of Long Beach,NassauCounty, Long Island, N.Y.; Houston,HarrisCounty, Tex.; Beverly Hills,LosAngeles County, Calif.BornOctober2, 1886.Mayorof Long Beach, N.Y., 1924, 1930-33; defeated, 1925 (Democraticprimary), 1925 (Republican), 1929 (Democratic primary); founder ofLong Beach MemorialHospitalindictedin September 1927 onchargesof maintaining agamblingplace; the charges were later dropped; in December 1929, his right totake office as mayor was unsuccessfullychallengedby the Long Beach police chief, based onvotefraud (for which many had been arrested and prosecuted) and theexpectation that Frankel wouldtolerate gambling in the city;indictedin January 1933 forfraudover his transfer of $90,000 in city funds to the Long Beach TrustCompany, which subsequently closed; the indictment was dismissed inFebruary;indictedagain in May 1933, along with two city council members, over thediversion of $750,000 of state and county tax revenue to cityprojects; pleaded not guilty; no trial was held; the indictment wasdismissed in 1937;oilproducer.Died, in ahospitalat Los Angeles,Los AngelesCounty, Calif.,June 12,1975 (age88 years, 253days).Intermentsomewherein Houston, Tex. | | Raleigh P. Hale (1883-1931) — of East Chicago,LakeCounty, Ind.Born in Columbia,BooneCounty, Mo.,June 6,1883.Republican. Served in the U.S. Army during World War I;physician;mayorof East Chicago, Ind., 1926-30; resigned 1930; in 1929, accusedofprotecting vice as mayor, he and 18 others, including theEast Chicago police chief and the reputed business agent forgangsterAl Capone werechargedin federal court with conspiracy to violateliquorprohibition laws;convictedin January 1930, andsentencedto two years in prison; on appeal, a new trial was ordered.Member,AmericanLegion.Died suddenly, fromdilatedcardiomyopathy, in East Chicago,LakeCounty, Ind.,December1, 1931 (age48 years, 178days).Interment atOakHill Cemetery, Hammond, Ind. | | Rudolph Gabriel Tenerowicz (1890-1963) — also known asRudolph G. Tenerowicz — of Hamtramck,WayneCounty, Mich.Born in Budapest,Hungary,of Polish parents,June 14,1890.Physician;served in the U.S. Army during World War I;mayorof Hamtramck, Mich., 1928-32, 1936-39; defeated, 1932; resigned1932; defeated, 1934;U.S.Representative from Michigan 1st District, 1939-43; defeated,1942 (Democratic primary), 1946 (Republican primary), 1948(Republican), 1950 (Republican), 1952 (Republican), 1954 (Republican).Polishancestry.Triedandconvictedonvice conspiracychargesin 1932; freed from prison whenpardonedby Gov.WilliamA. Comstock.Died in Hamtramck,WayneCounty, Mich.,August31, 1963 (age73 years, 78days).Interment atArlingtonNational Cemetery, Arlington, Va. | | Samuel Davis Wilson (1881-1939) — also known asS. Davis Wilson — of Philadelphia,PhiladelphiaCounty, Pa.Born in Boston,SuffolkCounty, Mass.,August31, 1881.Mayorof Philadelphia, Pa., 1936-39; died in office 1939; candidate inDemocratic primary forU.S.Senator from Pennsylvania, 1938; twiceindictedby a grand jury in 1938-39 onchargesrelated tovice and gambling in Philadelphia; never tried.Died, fromcerebralthrombosis andhypertension,in Philadelphia,PhiladelphiaCounty, Pa.,August19, 1939 (age57 years, 353days).Cremated.  | Frank L. Shaw (1877-1958) — of Los Angeles,LosAngeles County, Calif.Born near Warwick,Ontario,February1, 1877.Republican.Mayorof Los Angeles, Calif., 1933-38; recalled 1938; defeated, 1941; arecallcampaign against him in 1938 charged that he was associated withunspecified "racketeers"and "underworldcharacters", and that his administrationtolerated vice inthe city; meanwhile, Harry J. Raymond, a private investigator nearlykilled in a January 1938 bombing,charged,in a civil lawsuit for damages, that the mayor had been part of aplot by gambling and vice interests tomurderhim.Died, fromcancer,in CaliforniaHospital,Los Angeles,Los AngelesCounty, Calif.,January24, 1958 (age80 years, 357days).Interment atInglewoodPark Cemetery, Inglewood, Calif. | | | Walter L. Kanar (1901-1958) — of Hamtramck,WayneCounty, Mich.Born in Warsaw,Poland,1901.Republican. Member ofMichiganstate house of representatives from Wayne County 3rd District,1931-32; defeated, 1932;mayorof Hamtramck, Mich., 1939-42.Indicted,but not convicted, onvice conspiracychargeswhile he was mayor.DiedFebruary4, 1958 (ageabout 56years).Interment atMt.Olivet Cemetery, Detroit, Mich. | | William T. Michaelson — of Cliffside Park,BergenCounty, N.J.Mayorof Cliffside Park, N.J., 1950-51;indictedin 1951, and again in 1953, onchargesoffailure to enforce gambling laws; the charges were droppedin 1955.Presumed deceased. Burial location unknown. | | Charles A. Heft — of Fort Lee,BergenCounty, N.J.Republican.Mayorof Fort Lee, N.J., 1940-51; defeated, 1951;indictedin 1951, along with three other city officials, onchargesoffailing to enforce gambling laws; the charges were droppedin 1955.Presumed deceased. Burial location unknown. | | Joseph P. Luna — of Lodi,BergenCounty, N.J.Democrat.Mayor ofLodi, N.J., 1944-51; defeated, 1951;indictedin 1951 onchargesoffailure to enforce gambling laws; the charges were droppedin 1955;recalledfrom office as borough councilman in 1960.Presumed deceased. Burial location unknown.  | Herman Methfessel (1900-1963) — of Staten Island,RichmondCounty, N.Y.; Miami, Dade County (nowMiami-DadeCounty), Fla.Born in Manhattan,New YorkCounty, N.Y.,November23, 1900.Democrat.Newspaperreporter;lawyer;member ofNew Yorkstate assembly from Richmond County 2nd District, 1935-38;RichmondCounty District Attorney, 1948-51.In September 1951, the New York State Crime Commission, investigatingrackets on the Staten Island waterfront, heard testimony from Mrs.Anna Wentworth that she had seen District Attorney Methfessel in agamblinghouse, which implied that he wasprotecting vice; inresponse, he ordered her arrest and charged her with perjury. At therequest of the Crime Commission, citingabuseof power, Gov.ThomasE. Dewey superseded him from all cases related to theinvestigation; in the meantime, he was defeated for re-election. In1952, he and a subordinate werechargedwithofficialmisconduct, but found not guilty.Injured in aone-caraccident, and died the next day, in North ShoreHospital,Miami, Dade County (nowMiami-DadeCounty), Fla.,July 7,1963 (age62 years, 226days).Burial location unknown. | | Edward C. Peirce (c.1895-1955) — of New Bedford,BristolCounty, Mass.Born about 1895. Democrat. Member ofMassachusettsstate senate, 1930; delegate to Democratic National Conventionfrom Massachusetts,1944,1952;mayorof New Bedford, Mass., 1952-53;convictedin 1953 on charges ofconspiracy to protect gambling, andsentencedto four years inprison;served twenty months.Died, ofcancer,in anursinghome at New Bedford,BristolCounty, Mass.,January31, 1955 (ageabout 60years).Burial location unknown. | | Thomas W. Flatley (born c.1888) — of Erie,ErieCounty, Pa.Born about 1888. Democrat.Mayor ofErie, Pa., 1952-54; resigned 1954;arrestedin October 1954 andchargedwith taking part in agambling racket;admittedtoreceivingpayments andpleadedguilty;sentencedto one to two years injail,andfined$1,000.Burial location unknown. | | William W. Voisine (1897-1959) — also known asWilfred William Voisine — of Ecorse,WayneCounty, Mich.Born in Michigan,November20, 1897.Steelexecutive;villagepresident of Ecorse, Michigan, 1936-37; members of a steelworkerterrorist group, the Black Legion, repeatedlyattemptedto kill him in 1936; Jesse Pettijohn and Lawrence Madden werelater convicted of conspiracy to commit murder;mayor ofEcorse, Mich., 1948-49, 1954-57.FrenchCanadian ancestry.Convictedin April, 1950, offalselytestifying to a Congressional committee in 1948 that he hadreceived only the regular price for steel;sentencedto two years in federalprison.In October, 1956, awarrantwas issued for hisarrest,along with several members of the city council, for knowinglypermitting illegal gambling in Ecorse, in return forbribes andgratuities; Gov.G.Mennen Williams initiatedremovalproceedings against the officials.Died in1959(ageabout61 years).Burial location unknown.| | Relatives: Sonof Abel Voisine and Eugenia Jennie (Blais) Voisine; married,August1, 1918, to Helen Pearl O'Brien. |
| | John T. Gregorio (1928-2013) — also known as"The Lion of Linden" — of Linden,UnionCounty, N.J.Born in Staten Island,RichmondCounty, N.Y.,February6, 1928.Democrat.Florist;mayorof Linden, N.J., 1968-83, 1991-2006; defeated, 2006;shotat in his car, in March 1968; two days later, his house wasfirebombed;member ofNewJersey state house of assembly 21st District, 1974-77;indictedin April 1975 onperjuryand fraudcharges,over his purchase of a vacant lot from Elizabethtown Gas Company,while conspiring tofalsifydocuments toconcealhis involvement as buyer; laterchargedwithextortinga $25,000kickbackfrom a building contractor on a high school project; following juryselection, the charges were dismissed in February 1976; member ofNewJersey state senate, 1978-83 (21st District 1978-81, 20thDistrict 1982-83);indictedin September 1981 onchargesofincometax evasion,concealinghis interest in two "go-go bars", and forfailing to enforcestate alcohol laws;convictedin December 1982 of conspiracy to commitofficialmisconduct, but found not guilty on other charges.Died, fromleukemia,in TrinitasHospital,Elizabeth,UnionCounty, N.J.,October23, 2013 (age85 years, 259days).Burial location unknown. | | John J. Peluso (b. 1923) — also known as"Johnny TV" — of Newport,CampbellCounty, Ky.BornJune 1,1923.Mayorof Newport, Ky., 1964-68, 1976-80; defeated, 1971, 1983.Indictedin 1973 onchargesofpossessionof stolen bonds; later dismissed.Convictedin 1983 ofpromoting gambling.Indictedin 1984 on federalchargesofbriberyand conspiracy;pleadedguilty toperjuryin 1985;sentencedto ten years inprison;released in 1989.Presumed deceased. Burial location unknown. | | Anthony Joseph Bevilacqua (1923-2012) — also known asAnthony Bevilacqua — of Philadelphia,PhiladelphiaCounty, Pa.; Wynnewood,MontgomeryCounty, Pa.Born in Brooklyn,KingsCounty, N.Y.,June 17,1923.Republican.Catholicpriest; bishop of Pittsburgh, 1983-88; archbishop ofPhiladelphia, 1988-2003; cardinal from 1991;offered prayer, Republican National Convention,2000 ;accusedin 2003-04 ofprotecting priests who were suspected ofsexuallyabusing children; later, it wasfoundthat he had ordered a subordinate todestroya list of 35 abusive priests, and that he hadpunisheda priest who had raised concerns about possible abuse.Catholic.Italianancestry.Died in Wynnewood,MontgomeryCounty, Pa.,January31, 2012 (age88 years, 228days).Entombed atCathedralBasilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, Philadelphia, Pa.
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