A reference to the Tweed Court House is made in the film “Gangs of New York,” by Boss Tweed. He was the leader of Tammany Hall which was one of the most powerful political organizations in New York at the time. According to Wikipedia when he talks about that and structure as being “modest and economical.” The Court how is formally called the Old New York County Courthouse and it is located at 52 Chambers street in Manhattan. Boss Tweed used the building as a cover up to steal millions of dollars from the city government and the public.
In 1873 Tweed was tried and convicted in an unfinished courtroom in the basement in this building and sentenced to 12 years in prison. He gave inflated bills to the city for construction costs, and took ample amount of funds for himself and members of Tammany Hall. One instance was with Andrew Garvey, a plasterer and Tammany member. He received $133,187 for only two days’ work on the courthouse. New York City’s debt jumped to $81 million in less than three years. The exact number of money stolen from Boss Tweed in unknown, but it is estimated that approximately $13 million was set aside for members of Tammany Hall in 1862 and the 1870s, when Tweed became president. His name remains in the room where he had he trial.