In his essay “Underworlds and Underdogs” Daniel Czitron investigates the life of Tammany Hall member, Tim Sullivan. Tammany Hall is generally associated with coercing votes and the corrupt regime of Boss Tweed but there was much more to Tammany Hall and its members than shady activity.
Big Tim Sullivan was elected the New York State Senate in 1893 to represent the Bowery district. Tammany Hall and Big Tim organized weekend outings for citizens of the Bowery, a chance to escape crowded tenements and go out into the park. Most Bowery residents were given free tickets to the event. Throughout his career in the senate Big Tim worked to keep open popular urban amusements that could be enjoyed by all. Big Tim also started the tradition of feeding poor families Christmas dinner in 1894 and began to give away shoes and wool socks every February.
Tammany’s practice of forcing local constituents to vote was problematic for many because the outcome for national presidential elections was often determined by New York State. Big Tim was known to bail out men who had been convicted of election law violations and hiring gangs to police election polls. Big Tim was further accused of profiting from prostitution on the Lower East Side and serious gambling problems.
His familiarity with the underworld of New York City did not stop his commitment to clean up his district. Due to increased violence below 14th street Sullivan helped write The Sullivan Act which was the city’s first gun control law.
Despite the good he had done for the Bowery district and New York City Tim Sullivan was thought to be a chum to the underworld until his death. Sullivan’s involvement with Tammany and his association with criminal life made him a criminal by default in the eyes of many people. Although his situation wasn’t as serious as the people from Witch Hunt, who were wrongly accused, his believed criminality was something he struggled against daily.
