The power broker : Robert Moses and the fall of New York
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on projects, most I j | .
construction. I hi
that the city's MHMC I valuation -the base which determined the debt lm would increase in 1939 to ■ point which the margin left under the limit would rise to $126,683,125, but this WMt only a prediction, not a certainty and he and the Mayor had, moreover, agreed, when he first took office, that a reserve of at least $45,000,000 must be left in the debt limit at all times to pay for preventive maintenance to the city's physical plant, for unexpected major repair work and for other emergencies. If this principle was adhered to, the total amount available to the city for new expenditures in 1939 would, McGoldrick estimated, be $26,583,125. And the forecast for 1940 was even gloomier; obligations already assumed by the city for payment in that year assured that the total available for capital outlays would be under—well under—$20,000,000.
McGoldrick's feelings, LaG's agreement with him: McGoldrick. "Reluctant as I am": NYT, Oct. 12, 1938. RM's attack: NYT, Oct. 13, 1938. Board of Estimate session: NYT, HT, Brooklyn Eagle, Oct. 14, 1938; McGoldrick.
A ten-story building: NYT, Jan. 26, 1939. Almost to Rector Street: HT, Mar. I9> 1939- Corporation breaking off negotiations: Tom Brown, manager of downtown office of Cushman & Wakefield, Inc., to LaG, June 5, 1939, LaG Papers.
History of Lower Manhattan: Books by Gilder, Nevins and Krout, Stokes, Ulmann. They had had to watch as cobbled slips . . . : WPA, New York Panorama, pp. 204-18. "The vocabulary of thrift": Henry James, quoted in Pritchett, p. 6.
History of the Aquarium: Books by Stokes and Ulmann; WPA, New York Panorama, pp. 21, 24, 39, 53, 92, and New York City Guide, pp. 49 ff. The most complete history is Gilder book and McAneny OHR. Gilder's book contains pictures of the fort in each of its incarnations. Lafayette: Gilder, pp. I48ff. Attendance at Aquarium: Gilder, pp. 233-36; HT, Feb. 7, 1941; McAneny OHR. Reformers' feelings of effect of the bridge on the park: Letters-to-the-editor, HT, throughout 1939; McAneny OHR; Binger, McGoldrick, Windels.
McAneny biography: Lewinson, pp. 85-88; obituaries, NYT, HT, July 31, 1953; Garrett, pp. 92-93; McAneny OHR. Could have had Fusion nomination: Various newspapers, 1917. "A sort of
Notes for pages 654-674
1214
moral background": Talese, p. 174. Wrinkled: Binger, Childs. World's Fair: McAneny OHR.
Isaacs biography: Isaacs' book; J. M. Flagler, "The Public Be Served," The New Yorker, Dec. 12, 19, 1959; obituaries, NYT and HT, July 13, 1962; Binger.
"Maybe, idolizing him": Confidential source.
Isaacs sent him letters; he didn't reply: Isaacs to LaG, enclosing copies of letters to RM, Jan. 25, 26, 1939, LaG Papers. Disturbed but not worried: Binger, Win-dels.
Costs: TBTA, May 24, 1939, brochure vs. Singstad brochure. "Without a nickel": RM, introduction to TBTA brochure. Ammann's "guidance": Exton, one of the two representatives (the other is dead); Windels. $21,500,000: Isaacs to LaG, Jan. 26, 1939; to RM, Jan. 28, 1939; RM to Isaacs, Feb. 1, 1939; LaG Papers. Binger. "On the basis of real cost": Singstad brochure.
The two drawings: Both were printed in HT, Feb. 6, 1939. Morning newspapers: NYT, HT, Feb. 14, 1939. Planning Commission hearing: NYT, HT, Brooklyn Eagle, Feb. 16, 17, 1939. Decision: Mar. 2, 1939. The commission did not make even a pretense: Orton. Eating up the track in Albany: Brooklyn Eagle, Mar. 1, 8, 9, 1939; HT, NYT, Mar. 1. Isaacs noticed a point: Binger; Isaacs demanded a ruling from State Attorney General John J. Bennett on whether a home-rule message was required—Bennett said it was.
Foot-stamping fury: McGoldrick. When LaG learned about the buried clause from Isaacs, he called in the Comptroller and Reuben Lazarus and had McGoldrick produce from his files a copy of RM's letter of Sept. 8, 1938, promising it wouldn't cost the city "a nickel" and then exploded. McGoldrick, Lazarus. A copy of RM's letter is in the LaG Papers, together with this prescient attached memo from the Mayor to McGoldrick, dated Sept. 28, 1938: "Please keep this copy in your permanent files. As we are in agreement that no part of this cost could be absorbed by the city, I think the time will come when we may need this letter for useful reference." A ray of hope: McGoldrick, Singstad, Windels.
"Central Committee's" activities: Description in "Minutes of Victory Luncheon, Central Committee of Organizations Opposing the Battery Toll Bridge, Held at Architectural League, 15 E. 40th St., New York, N.Y., July 20, 1939,"
LaG Papers. Burlingham's conversation with LaG: Singstad and Windels are among those to whom "CC" related it. Gave Tunnel Authority permission to lobby: Lazarus, Singstad; Robert F. Wagner, Sr., to LaG, Mar. 13, 1939, LaG Papers.
"A brief delay": NYT, Mar. 11, 1939. "It seems clear now": HT, Mar. 20, 1939.
Telegram from Key West: RM to LaG, Mar. 9, 1939, LaG Papers. "The same old tripe": NYT, Mar. 27, 1939.
City Council hearing: NYT, HT, Brooklyn Eagle, Mar. 28, 29, 1939. Feelings of reformers: Binger, Exton, McGoldrick, Windels. Civil service architects vs. consultants: The analysis, by George Curran, showed that on major public works designed by civil service employees, design costs were 3.2 percent of the total, while on public works designed by consultants, such costs were between 6 and 7.5 percent. "If there was an argument raised": Exton. A surplus of $4,-000,000: See Chapter 31. "I was afraid": McGoldrick. "Shock": That word was used by, among others, Childs, Exton and Windels.
"A happy smile": NYT, Mar. 29, 1939. "The tunnel is dead": RM quoted in Brooklyn Eagle, Apr. 5, 1939. "And when the last law was down": Bolt, p. 66.
"Call Eleanor": Windels. "My Day": WT, Apr. 5, 1939. Burlingham's letters-to-the-editor: HT, Apr. 6, June 2, 1939. RM's answer: HT, June 5.
"In graveyard confidence": Burlingham to FDR, Apr. 10, 1939, FDR Papers. RM assured of favorable report: RM; also RM quoted in NYT, July 19, 1939. "Speak to the President": Watson to Schley, Apr. 26, 1939. On the same day, moreover, Woodring memoed FDR: "I have checked into the proposed Battery Bridge project, New York City, without disclosing the fact C. C. Burlingham had written you. If you desire, I shall be glad to discuss this project with you after the Chief Engineer has received the field report and before any final action is taken thereon by the War Department." FDR Papers. The engineers suddenly evasive: Hall to RM, May 2, 1939, quoted in Dangerous Trade, p. 204. RM's whole side of this controversy, pp. 202-07, in section titled "Enter Mrs. Roosevelt."
"The President pulled down his lip": Frances Perkins OHR, Vol. Ill, p. 371. "Personal and Confidential": Watson to FDR, May 18, 1939, FDR Papers. Woodring announcement: NYT, July 18, i939."Rage and ridicule": HT, July 18.
Notes for pages 674-690
1215
Air Force experts: RM. RM's hint that FDR was behind it: NYT, July 18, 19. The President said firmly: NYT, July 19. "No doubt this squares up accounts":
RM quoted in NYT, July 18. LaG's gratification: Lazarus.
"Any mention": The author mentioned it in an interview with RM and drew this reaction. Eleanor Roosevelt's denial: "My Day," WT, May 13, 1939- "Oh, she was in the middle of it": RM. "Increasingly unprintable": Lazarus. "A review of 'My Day' ": Moses, Dangerous Trade, p. 202.
$12,000,000 pill: The complicated financing that went into the final arrangements—so different from newspaper accounts—is detailed in RM to LaG, Nov. 6, 1939 (which contains RM's plea to charge tolls); Singstad to LaG, Nov. 21, 1939; RM to LaG, Nov. 30, 1939; unsigned and unaddressed memo dated Jan. 18, 1940; Jesse Jones to Alfred B. Jones, Mar. 9, 1940; Fearson Shortridge to LaG, Mar. 12, 1940; Morton McCartney (chief, self-liquidating projects division of RFC) to RM, Nov. 20, 1940. All in LaG Papers.
Victory Luncheon: See "Minutes" cited above.
30. Revenge
SOURCES
Books:
Rodgers, Robert Moses; White and Willensky, AIA Guide to New York City.
See also "Sources" for Chapter 29.
NOTES
"If the roof leaks": Robert Forman to HT, Mar. 1, 1941. Reformers' feelings:
From interviews with many, and from their OHR's, particularly McAneny. Among tho
se interviewed who consented to be quoted are Binger, Exton, McGold-rick, Orton, Weinberg and Windels.
Whole columns of letters-to-the-editor: HT, for example, printed nine on Mar.
1, 1941. RM states tunneling will undermine:
For example, NYT, May 13, I94L Exton checks: Exton, confirmed by Singstad and Binger, and by Singstad to Exton, Feb. 15, 1941, Exton Papers. 170 feet: Isaacs' successor as Manhattan borough president, Edgar J. Nathan, Jr., in letter to NYT, Mar. 16, 1943. It was going
to fall down; "a joke' Bun ci "o Jm-tory worth writing about" t KM in Feb. 25, 1 941, "Wh> must this MM thing be torn fro 11 I .ton to h
Feb. 17, 1941 Nod *▼«■ certain of new location: Confidential source, in 1 LaG shortly thereafter announced he had decided the new location would not be in the Bronx; HT, May 2, 1941. Demolition not the issue: NYT, HT, Sept 12, 1941.
Palma switch: NYT, May, Sept. 12, 1941; Morris switch: May, Sept. 12, 1941.
No construction company would bid: Actually one bid was submitted in 1942, but it was a false bid, submitted to save RM embarrassment. Suit: McAneny OHR; Binger, Windels. "With the unleashing": HT, Feb. 25, 1941. Bur-lingham visiting the Aquarium: Binger. McAneny's fight: McAneny, Isaacs OHR's; Binger, Exton, Windels. "The successful conclusion," "most gratifying": NYT, Oct. 8, 1949. "McAneny beat Moses": Isaacs OHR. "Now it is a monument": White and Willensky, p. 10. "The ten-year battle": Rodgers, p. 94.
31. Monopoly
SOURCES
Documents:
"Excerpt from Minutes of a Meeting of the Port of New York Authority held Thursday, Sept. 25, 1941"; "Special Report of the Staff to the Construction Committee on Mr. Ole Singstad and the Acquisition of the Properties of Anjou Realty Corporation and Nord Holding Corporation"—both these documents attached to RM to LaG, Nov. 10, 1941, LaG Papers.
"Re: Ole Singstad" (this is the title of a letter from Alfred B. Jones to LaG, Mar. 20, 1942, which constitutes the Tunnel Authority investigation of the Anjou and Nord companies).
Author's interviews:
Howard S. Cullman, William McD. Griffin, P. Fearson Shortridge, Ole Singstad, Paul Windels, confidential sources.
NOTES
RM recommends halt in tunnel work:
HT, Oct. 6, 1942. Not steel at all: William H. Friedman in HT, Oct. 6. LaG's furious statement: HT, Oct. 7. WPB stopping production: NYT, Oct. 13, 1942.
Notes for pages 690-702
1216
"Doing the right thing": RM quoted in HT, Oct. 18, 1942.
Tunnel Authority financial situation:
Various "Tunnel Authority" folders in LaG Papers; Shortridge, Singstad. RM's analysis of that situation: Various letters in LaG Papers; typical is RM to LaG, June 7, 1945. "Mess": For example, RM to LaG, Dec. 4, 1940, and RM to Jones, Sept. 29, 1945; LaG Papers.
Singstad's brother-in-law's real estate transactions: Minutes of Port Authority meeting of Sept. 25, 1941, and staff report that was presented to that meeting. Power struggle: Singstad, Windels. "He was afraid": Windels. "Great regret": Alfred B. Jones reported this to RM, July 16, 1943, LaG Papers. "The Singstad story": RM to LaG, Nov. 10, 1941. LaG Papers. This and subsequent communications indicate that RM had given the Mayor an oral version of the affair. RM quoted Cullman about the alleged $50,-000 in Nov. 10, 1941, letter. Madigan's overture to Singstad: Singstad, Windels. Madigan would not discuss it, but Lazarus says he knew about the overture.
RM recommends Cullman: The recommendation was made secretly, and cannot be found, but a green slip dated Feb. 10, 1943, and filled out by one of LaG's secretaries to indicate the nature of the document for filing purposes can be found in LaG Papers, Box 710, folder marked "Parks—Feb., 1943."
Friedman to LaG: June 15, 1945. LaG reply: June 18, 1945. Buried newspaper articles: For example, HT, July 26, 1945.
RM firing Shortridge: Shortridge.
32. Quid Pro Quo
SOURCES
Books:
Garrett. The La Guardia Years; Gun-ther, Inside U.S.A.', Morris, Let the Chips Fall; Moses, La Guardia: A Salute and a Memoir-, Moscow, Politics in the Empire State.
Author's interviews:
Walter D. Binger, Joseph D. McGold-rick, Paul Windels.
NOTES
LaG's desk: Gunther, p. 580. Pressing his back: Morris, p. 204. "I guess I'm tired": To Gunther (p. 588).
DN straw poll: Garrett, p. 285. Analysis of his problems: McGoldrick, Windels;
Garrett, pp. 275-99; Morris, pp. 202-03; Moscow, p. 28.
RM's one public statement: HT, Oct. 22, 1945. Men who knew Moses: McGoldrick, Windels. WJZ announcement: Various newspapers, Nov. 2, 1945. O'D describes his first conference with RM— at the Links Club—in his OHR, pp. 246-247: "I . . . asked [Moses] if he'd be winning . . . [Moses] said, 'Well, of course, I might tell you that I'm bound to make two speeches for one of your opponents . . .'"
"It's true": HT, Nov. 2, 1945. Press reaction: Post, Nov. 2; DN, Nov. 3; HT, Nov. 3.
"So shrunken": Moses, La Guardia, p. 44. Engineers Club scene: Binger.
33. Leading Out the Regiment
SOURCES
Books, articles and documents:
Allen, Our Sovereign State; Con-nable and Silberfarb, Tigers of Tammany; Costikyan, Behind Closed Doors; Doig, Metropolitan Transportation Politics and the New York Region; Felker (ed.), The Power Game; Flynn, You're the Boss; Garrett, The La Guardia Years; Gunther, Inside U.S.A.; Hamburger, Mayor-Watching and Other Pleasures; Isaacs, Love Affair with a City; Leavitt, Superhighway-Superhoax; Lowe, Cities in a Race with Time; Lund-berg, America's Sixty Families and The Rich and the Super-Rich; Mockridge, The Big Fix; Moscow, Politics in the Empire State, What Have You Done for Me Lately? and The Last of the Big-Time Bosses; Morris, Let the Chips Fall; Moses, Dangerous Trade; Nevins and Krout, The Greater City; Riordon, Plunkitt of Tammany Hall; Rodgers, Robert Moses; Sayre and Kaufman, Governing New York City; White, The Making of the President 1964.
Austin J. Tobin, "Public Relations and Financial Reporting in a Municipal Corporation," May 23, 1951.
Fred J. Cook and Gene Gleason, "The Shame of New York," The Nation, Oct.
31, 1959.
Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Audits and Accounts, "Report on Audit of Certain Financial and Operating Practices, Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority," Jan. 10, 1967; also a preliminary draft of this audit report never released to the public; also audi-
Notes for pages 704^710
1217
tors* work sheets (all hereafter referred to as "Levitt TBTA Audit").
Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Audits and Accounts, "Draft Report" on LISPC, Jones Beach and Beth-page authorities; also auditors' work sheets (all hereafter referred to as "Levitt LISPC Audit").
Certain files of the TBTA made available to the author on a confidential basis (hereafter referred to as "Secret TBTA Files").
TBTA Annual Reports, 1946-67.
Oral History Reminiscences:
Stanley M. Isaacs, Reuben A. Lazarus, George McAneny, William O'Dwyer.
Author's interviews:
Henry Barnes, Harold Blake, Peter J. Brennan, Peter Campbell Brown, William Chapin, Ernest J. Clark, Ernest Cohen, Albert M. Cole, John A. Coleman, Victor F. Condello, Fred J. Cook, Joan Ganz Cooney, Timothy J. Cooney, Edward N. Costikyan, Howard S. Cullman, Thomas E. Dewey, Perry B. Du-ryea, Jr., Julius C. C. Edelstein, Jerry Finkelstein, Walter S. Fried, Hortense Gabel, Monroe Goldwater, Nettie Green-berg, William J. Haddad, Mrs. Rudolph Halley, Vincent R. Impellitteri, Joseph Kahn, Saul Kaplan, Edna F. Kelly, William Latham, Reuben A. Lazarus, Arthur Levitt, Jacob Lutsky, Michael J. Madi-gan, Michael J. Merkin, J. Burch Mc-Morran, Edward F. Moloney, Warren Moscow, John Mulcahy, Mary Perot Nichols, Paul O'Dwyer, Paul O'Keefe, Lawrence M. Orton, Jackson Phillips, Charles F. Rodriguez, Dwayne Saunders, Louis Schulman, Paul R. Screvane, Sidney M. Shapiro, Philip Shumsky, Charles Stark, Bertram D. Tallamy, James Truex, Robert F. Wagner, Jr., Arthur B. Williams, William J. Zeckendorf.
More than
a score other interviewees —Moses men, Wagner men, city officials, state officials, federal officials— have requested anonymity.
NOTES
Construction Coordinator: Not one of the Assistant Corporation Counsels: Condello. Citizens Union protest: NYT
(Feb. 6, 1946) noted that, at a Board of Estimate session, "a letter from ... the Citizens Union protesting that the bill gave too much power to one person and superseded the Charter, went unheeded." CD's belief that it would be "purely administrative": Post, May 2, 1946. The
one paragraph which the Times devoted to the Board's approval of the bill the next to last in a story on Feb. 5. Using innocent phrase as authorization: Rodriguez, Lutsky. Lying for twenty years: Edelstein.
RM's relationship with Bureau of Public Roads: Du Pont to RM, Jan. 25, 1954, Wagner Papers; Tallamy. Their idol: Author's interviews with Tallamy and various BPR officials who declined to be identified. "Under federal law": Lutsky.
Taking over housing: Although its membership changed from time to time, the Moses Men who gave him control of the Housing Authority board for most of the 1946-58 period were Thomas F. Farrell, its chairman from 1946 to 1950; Philip J. Cruise, its chairman from 1950 to 1958; Thomas J. Shanahan, its vice chairman from 1948 to 1958; and William Wilson, a long-time Moses consultant who was a board member from 1952 to 1957. Among top Authority officials who were loyal "Moses Men" were Assistant to the Chairman Gerald J. Carey, Director of Development James A. Dawson, Director of Planning Samuel Ratensky and Director of Personnel Joseph Rechetnick. Controlled it absolutely for a decade: Moscow, its executive director for two years, Orton, Lazarus, confidential sources; the author's analysis of communications between RM, the Authority and O'D, Impy and Wagner, from the respective Mayoral Papers. One of the few public attempts to reveal the extent of RM's influence was made by former Authority Chairman Langdon Post in 1947, when he said, "The City Housing Authority, by law, has five members. But the sixth and really important member seems to be Bob Moses." Post, Sept. 5, 1947.