Boss Tweed: New York's Corruption King

19th-century New York City was ruled by a turbulent combination of money and politics that came together, notoriously, in the infamous Tammany Hall and its leader, former street brawler and Lower East Side political fixer William M. “Boss” Tweed. His very name has become synonymous with the stereotypical political fat-cat--some estimates put his ring's takings at close to $1 Billion in today's dollars. His corruption was total. And his reputation is legendary.

Social historian Keith Taillon takes us on a deep dive into Gilded Age NYC police corruption and Tammany Hall influence in the building of Central Park and the development of the Upper West Side. We’ll also learn how “scrappy immigrant” Thomas Nast nearly single-handedly brought down Tweed with his political cartoons in Harper’s magazine.