TIMOTHY SULLIVAN
(Big Tim Sullivan)
Sullivan was the first political ward boss in America. His ward was the Bowery and Lower East Side of New York City. He served on term in Congress and although he could have served as long as he wished, he found it very distasteful and went back to being a New York State Senator and running his ward where he controlled everything that had to do with politics, government services and even crime. His ward consisted of Irish, Italians, Jews and Chinese whose commonality is that there were all poor immigrants of first generation Americans.
Sullivan was the first political ward boss in America. His ward was the Bowery and Lower East Side of New York City. He served on term in Congress and although he could have served as long as he wished, he found it very distasteful and went back to being a New York State Senator and running his ward where he controlled everything that had to do with politics, government services and even crime. His ward consisted of Irish, Italians, Jews and Chinese whose commonality is that there were all poor immigrants of first generation Americans.
Timothy Daniel Sullivan (July 23, 1862 – August 31, 1913) was a New York politician who controlled Manhattan's Bowery and Lower East Side districts as a prominent leader within Tammany Hall. He was known euphemistically as "Dry Dollar", as the "Big Feller", and later as "Big Tim" because of his physical stature. He amassed a large fortune as a businessman running vaudeville and legitimate theaters, as well as nickelodeons, race tracks, and athletic clubs.
