Boss Tweed

 

William "Boss" Tweed was a lifelong criminal, his corruption spread through New York like wildfire. This individual was one of the most powerful men in the late 1860's. William M. "Boss" Tweed is a famous white collar criminal and that was before the term even existed.

 

The crimes of Boss Tweed could almost range from a to z. During his political career, he and his associates where guilty of bribery, ballet tampering, submitting false documentation of expenses and keeping judges on his payroll. These are just a few examples of the crimes that were committed.

 

How much does it take to build a courthouse? According to Boss Tweed, millions and millions of dollers are needed. This was one way that he managed to steal taxpayer's money. Boss Tweed awarded contracts on the city's behalf to crooked vendors who would jack up the prices and then give him a kick-back of the profits. According to digitalhistory.uh.edu "A carpenter was paid $360,751 (roughly $4.9 million today) for one month's labor in a building with very little woodwork." "A furniture contractor received $179,729 ($2.5 million) for three tables and 40 chairs." His corruption was so blatant at this point, that he must of felt a sense of impunity.