Grover Aloysius Whalen (1886–1962) was a prominent politician , businessman, and public relations guru in New York City during the 1930s and 1940s.
71-559: The mayor of New York City , officially mayor of the City of New York , is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor 's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City. The budget, overseen by New York City Mayor's Office of Management and Budget ,
142-456: A book about New York during the 1920s. The publishing company provided Whalen with a staff of researchers responsible for validating stories and facts incorporated into the autobiography. Ted Purdy, the man in charge of editing Whalen's writing, took the 800 pages penned by Whalen and condensed it into a 300-page collection of personal accounts. Purdy and his team also provided the Mr. New York title for
213-446: A comprehensive statement of the expense and capital budget priorities and needs, evaluate the progress of capital developments and the quality and quantity of services provided by agencies, and otherwise consider the needs of the borough. Each of the fifty-nine community districts has a community board composed of up to 50 volunteer members appointed by the local borough president , half from nominations by Council members representing
284-486: A familiar face on the 1939 New York World's Fair . He was on the cover of Time magazine on May 1, 1939. Whalen was known as the official greeter and organizer of many public events and celebrations taking place in New York during the first half of the 20th century. G.P. Putnam's Sons, the publisher of Whalen's autobiography, came up with Mr. New York as the title of his autobiography. The name naturally gave birth to
355-523: A four-year term, whose duty it is to prosecute all crimes and offenses cognizable by the courts of the county. There is also a sixth DA, the Office of the Special Prosecutor for Narcotics , who is unelected, but appointed by the five elected DAs. The Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Public Library are public library systems within their respective boroughs. The New York Public Library
426-470: A maximum of 950–1150 registered voters). The law also allows the election of assembly district leaders. The political parties' county executive committees typically select candidates for local offices, to be ratified by the full county committees. Many small parties do not have county committees and designate candidates at the state level. The political parties' judicial nominating conventions select candidate New York Supreme Court justices. Candidates for
497-472: A mayor who has become unable to serve. There are also numerous commissions, boards, tribunals and offices that are independent of the mayor's office. Legislative power in the City of New York is vested in the New York City Council . The New York State Constitution empowers local governments to adopt local laws in addition to ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations. The Council
568-552: A new nickname for Whalen, as his experiences working in the public and private sector gave him a representative personality of New York. In the acknowledgements before beginning his autobiography, Whalen gives credit to the late Melville Minton, President of G.P. Putnam's Sons, for encouraging him to write a book about New York. During an interview with the New Yorker in November 1955, Whalen claims that Minton asked him to write
639-631: A separate process for the mayor's removal without the involvement of the governor: a five-member "Inability Committee" is formed composed of the city's corporation counsel (head of the New York City Law Department ), the speaker of the New York City Council, a deputy mayor (the mayor gets to choose which one), the New York City comptroller , and the longest-serving borough president ; by a four-fifths vote,
710-515: A special election. The New York City mayoralty has become known as the "second toughest job in America." It has been observed that politicians are rarely elected to any higher office after serving as mayor of New York City; the last mayor who later achieved higher office was John T. Hoffman , who became governor of New York in 1869. Former mayor Ed Koch said that the post was jinxed due to divine intervention, whereas Michael Bloomberg has called
781-662: A two consecutive-term limit . The court system consists of two citywide courts and three statewide courts. New York City's government employs approximately 330,000 people, more than any other city in the United States and more than any U.S. state but three: California , Texas , and New York . The city government is responsible for public education, correctional institutions, public safety, recreational facilities, sanitation, water supply, and welfare services. New York City consists of five boroughs , each coextensive with one of five counties of New York State : Brooklyn
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#1732772827929852-466: Is Eric Adams , who was elected on November 2, 2021, and took office shortly after midnight on January 1, 2022. In 1665, Governor Richard Nicolls appointed Thomas Willett as the first mayor of New York. For 156 years, the mayor was appointed and had limited power. Between 1783 and 1821 the mayor was appointed by the Council of Appointment in which the state's governor had the loudest voice. In 1821
923-502: Is Kings County, the Bronx is Bronx County, Manhattan is New York County, Queens is Queens County, and Staten Island is Richmond County. When New York City was consolidated into its present form in 1898, all previous town and county governments within it were abolished in favor of the present five boroughs and a unified, centralized city government. However, each county retains its own district attorney to prosecute crimes, and most of
994-414: Is a unicameral body consisting of 51 Council members, whose districts are defined by geographic population boundaries that each contain approximately 157,000 people. Council members are elected every four years, except that after every census held in years divisible by twenty, districts are redrawn, requiring two consecutive two-year terms, the second of which is held in the redrawn districts. The Speaker of
1065-415: Is a private, non-governmental library serving the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, that receives government funding. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) provides public housing for low- and moderate-income residents. NYC Health + Hospitals (New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, or HHC) operates public hospitals and clinics. The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)
1136-471: Is an ex-officio board member of the following organizations: According to the New York City Charter , the governor of New York has the power to remove the mayor from office in response to allegations of misconduct, but the governor must hear the mayor's defense of the allegations before doing so. The governor can suspend the mayor for 30 days while considering the allegations. In 2024, it
1207-416: Is open to the public and serves as a small museum. The mayor is entitled to a salary of $ 258,750 a year. Michael Bloomberg , mayor of the city from 2002 to 2013 and one of the richest people in the world, declined the salary and instead was paid $ 1 yearly . In 2000, direct control of the city's public school system was transferred to the mayor's office. Thereafter, in 2003, the reorganization established
1278-495: Is organized under the New York City Charter and provides for a mayor-council system . The mayor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for the administration of city government. The New York City Council is a unicameral body consisting of 51 members, each elected from a geographic district , normally for four-year terms. Primary elections for local offices use ranked choice voting , while general elections use plurality voting . All elected officials are subject to
1349-548: Is superior to the older forms of municipal legislation such as ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations. The codified local laws of New York City are contained in the New York City Administrative Code . The Council has several committees with oversight of various functions of the city government. Each council member sits on at least three standing, select or subcommittees. The standing committees meet at least once per month. The Speaker of
1420-418: Is the chief executive officer of the city and a magistrate , appoints and removes all unelected officers and exercises all the powers vested in the city except otherwise provided by law, and is responsible for the effectiveness and integrity of city government operations. The mayor is directly elected by popular vote for a four-year term. The mayor is also responsible for creating the city's budget through
1491-779: Is the city's economic development corporation . The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) manages the New York City Subway and MTA Regional Bus Operations through its arm the New York City Transit Authority . Despite this name, the NYCTA, like the rest of the MTA, was created by the New York State Legislature as a public-benefit corporation , which the legislature and governor of New York control. The MTA also operates
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#17327728279291562-692: Is the largest municipal budget in the United States , totaling $ 100.7 billion in fiscal year 2021. The city employs 325,000 people, spends about $ 21 billion to educate more than 1.1 million students (the largest public school system in the United States), and levies $ 27 billion in taxes. It receives $ 14 billion from the state and federal governments. The mayor's office is located in New York City Hall ; it has jurisdiction over all five boroughs of New York City: Manhattan , Brooklyn ,
1633-539: The American Revolution . "1625", the date at the bottom, was chosen to emphasize the city's Dutch roots but has been characterized as "arbitrary" and "simply wrong" by notable city historians (New Amsterdam was actually settled in 1624). The flag of New York City was adopted in 1915. Its blue, white, and orange bands represent the colors of the Dutch flag that flew over the city, then New Amsterdam, between
1704-593: The New York City Department of Education . Tammany Hall, which evolved from an organization of craftsmen into a Democratic political machine, was an American political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789. It became the main local political machine of the Democratic Party and played a major role in controlling New York City and New York State politics. The organization gained control of Democratic Party nominations in
1775-724: The New York City Mayor's Office of Management and Budget , submitted for approval, not drafting, to the Council. Along with the mayor, the Public Advocate and the Comptroller are the only three directly elected citywide officials in New York City. The Public Advocate is an elected official with responsibility to ease public relations with the government, investigate complaints regarding city agencies, mediate disputes between city agencies and citizens, serve as
1846-729: The Staten Island Railway within Staten Island, as well as the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad , both of which are commuter lines that have termini in the city but run largely in the suburban counties of New York State and Connecticut. Other regional transportation is managed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey , including the bridges and tunnels between New York City and New Jersey, and all airports and seaports within
1917-483: The 1620s and 1660s. Located in the center is a blue print of the official Seal of New York City minus its Latin motto. There are two official variants of the New York City flag. The Mayor's Office version adds an arc of five five-pointed stars (representing each of the five boroughs) in blue above the seal, and the Councilmanic version adds the word "COUNCIL" in blue below the seal. Grover Whalen Whalen
1988-964: The 1980s and 1990s, mayors Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani appeared on Saturday Night Live on several occasions, sometimes mocking themselves in sketches. Giuliani and Mayor Michael Bloomberg have both appeared, as themselves in their mayoral capacities, on episodes of Law & Order . Giuliani also appeared as himself in an episode of Seinfeld , titled " The Non-Fat Yogurt ". Giuliani has made cameos in films such as The Out-of-Towners and Anger Management . Bloomberg has appeared on 30 Rock , Gossip Girl , Curb Your Enthusiasm and Horace and Pete . DCP City Planning CB Community boards BP Borough president CPC City Planning Commission CC City Council Mayor NYC Mayor Government of New York City The government of New York City , headquartered at New York City Hall in Lower Manhattan ,
2059-484: The Bronx , Staten Island and Queens . The mayor appoints numerous officials, including deputy mayors and the commissioners who head city agencies and departments. The mayor's regulations are compiled in title 43 of the New York City Rules . According to current law, the mayor is limited to two consecutive four-year terms in office but may run again after a four-year break. The limit on consecutive terms
2130-538: The City of New York". Eboracum was the Roman name for York, the titular seat of James II as Duke of York . The two supporters represent the unity between Native Americans and colonists, the four windmill sails recall the city's Dutch history as New Amsterdam , and the beavers and flour barrels the city's earliest trade goods (see History of New York City ). The crest over the seal is the American eagle , added after
2201-544: The Common Council, which included elected members, gained the authority to choose the mayor. An amendment to the New York State Constitution in 1834 provided for the direct popular election of the mayor. Cornelius W. Lawrence , a Democrat , was elected that year. Gracie Mansion has been the official residence of the mayor since Fiorello La Guardia 's administration in 1942. Its main floor
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2272-534: The Council, selected by the 51 Council members, is often considered the second most powerful post in New York City's government after the Mayor. Bills passed by a simple majority are sent to the mayor, who may sign them into law. If the mayor vetoes a bill, the Council has 30 days to override the veto by a two-thirds majority vote. A local law has a status equivalent with a law enacted by the New York State Legislature (subject to certain exceptions and restrictions ), and
2343-573: The Council, the Majority Leader, and the Minority Leader are all ex officio members of every committee. Prior to 1990, the city also had a powerful Board of Estimate , a unique legislative-executive hybrid. Although it could not pass laws, it shared authority for the city budget with the council and controlled functions such as land use, municipal contracts, franchises, and water and sewer rates. The Board's membership consisted of
2414-531: The Criminal Court and Civil Court, respectively.) The Family Court of the State of New York is a family court that hears cases involving children and families. The Surrogate's Court of the State of New York is the probate court which oversees the probate of wills and administers estates. New York City is composed of five boroughs or counties, collectively comprising 59 community districts. Each of
2485-544: The Criminal Court and the Civil Court, and several statewide courts, the Supreme Court, Surrogate's Court, and Family Court. Unlike the rest of New York, New York City counties do not have a typical County Court. Each statewide court is located in each of New York City's five counties (boroughs). There are also numerous extrajudicial administrative courts such as OATH , which are executive agencies and not part of
2556-632: The Hylan administration to assist Rodman Wanamaker in the operation of the Wanamaker department stores, serving as general manager. Wanamaker named him Vice President of Operations for the American Trans-Oceanic Company , a new airline flying Curtiss seaplanes between New York and Florida. In 1928, he returned to civic life when he was appointed by Mayor Jimmy Walker to the position of New York City Police Commissioner . He
2627-462: The Mayor, and numerous departments, boards and commissions. The Mayor also appoints several deputy mayors to head major offices within the executive branch of the city government. The City Record is the official journal published each weekday (except legal holidays) containing legal notices produced by city agencies, and regulations are compiled in the Rules of the City of New York . The Mayor
2698-531: The New York state and local courts' total filings. There are also several extrajudicial administrative courts, e.g. the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) adjudicates matters for city agencies unless otherwise provided for by law, and the city Parking Violations Bureau adjudicates parking violations. The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial court of general jurisdiction , which in New York City hears felony cases and major civil cases. (Lesser criminal and civil cases are heard in
2769-653: The Tammany Hall political machine. The accuracy behind his Mr. New York identity represents the promises of opportunity and success put forth in Whalen's autobiography but also the quietly corrupt culture neglected by Whalen in his autobiography. He died at the age of 75 on April 20, 1962. He is mentioned in the Harold Arlen / Yip Harburg song Lydia the Tattooed Lady ( Here is Grover Whalen, unveilin'
2840-715: The Trilon... ), the Cole Porter song Let's Fly Away , and the Bobby Short song Sweet Bye and Bye as well as in the 1933 film The Prizefighter and the Lady , starring Myrna Loy and Max Baer . Grover Whalen is also mentioned in Once in a Lifetime , a play written by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman in 1930. He is also mentioned in E.B. White 's essay "The World of Tomorrow." In P.G. Wodehouse 's 1940 novel Quick Service,
2911-525: The city government. The powers and duties, and even the number of deputy mayors, are not defined by the City Charter. The post was created by Fiorello La Guardia (who appointed Grover Whalen as deputy mayor) to handle ceremonial events that the mayor was too busy to attend. Since then, deputy mayors have been appointed with their areas of responsibility defined by the appointing mayor. There are currently five deputy mayors, all of whom report directly to
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2982-417: The city's ombudsman and advise the mayor on community relations. The Public Advocate is a member of the Council. The Public Advocate stands first in line of succession to the mayoralty. The Comptroller conducts performance and financial audits of all city agencies, serves as a fiduciary to the city's five public pension funds totaling nearly $ 160 billion in assets, provides comprehensive oversight of
3053-414: The city's budget and fiscal condition, reviews city contracts for integrity, accountability and fiscal compliance, manages the fair, efficient and effective resolution of claims against the city, ensures transparency and accountability in the prevailing wage rate-setting process and enforces prevailing wage and living wage laws. The Comptroller stands second, after the Public Advocate, in the line to succeed
3124-500: The city's transportation system. He also served as Hylan's Commissioner of Purchase and took part in greeting ceremonies, including the welcome of General John J. Pershing , commander of the American Expeditionary Forces , in 1919. In 1922, he proposed the creation of a radio station owned and operated by the city, a plan that came to fruition with the first broadcast of WNYC in 1924. In 1924, Whalen left
3195-479: The city. The Port Authority is an interstate compact operating agency jointly controlled by the Governor of New Jersey and Governor of New York . State Election Law defines the structure of political parties. It requires each party to have a state committee and allows them to organize county committees. The county committees are composed of at least two members elected from each election district (containing
3266-427: The citywide offices of mayor, comptroller and public advocate are designated jointly by the five county executive committees of each party. In most cases, insurgents who are party members can challenge party-designated candidates by petitioning for a primary election . The seal of New York City , adopted in an earlier form in 1686, bears the legend SIGILLVM CIVITATIS NOVI EBORACI , which means simply "The Seal of
3337-512: The collection of stories written by Whalen. The bulk of his writing describes planning and execution of receptions, ceremonies, and civic projects under his direction. He provides vivid imagery and background information regarding specific events such as ticker-tape parades for American heroes like Lindbergh after the completion of his flight across the Atlantic Ocean from New York to Paris in 1927. Whalen also goes into great detail about
3408-521: The committee can refer allegations of misconduct or incapacity to the City Council, who can then by a two-thirds vote permanently remove the mayor from office, or temporarily suspend the mayor. This process has never been used. In the event the mayor dies, resigns or is removed from office, the order of succession is the public advocate of the City of New York , then the comptroller of the City of New York . The successor becomes interim mayor pending
3479-420: The community district ( i.e. , whose council districts cover part of the community district). Community boards advise on land use and zoning, participate in the city budget process, and address service delivery in their district. Community boards act in an advisory capacity, wielding no official authority to make or enforce laws. Each of the five counties of New York City elects a district attorney (DA) for
3550-554: The court system is organized around the counties. New York City is divided between two federal judicial districts. Bronx County and New York County are in the Southern District while Kings County, Queens County, and Richmond County are in the Eastern District , although both districts have concurrent jurisdiction over the waters in their respective districts. The executive branch of New York City consists of
3621-512: The early 1950s, he officially welcomed everyone from Charles Lindbergh to Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd to Douglas MacArthur to New York and became master of the ticker tape parade . In 1933, Whelan received The Hundred Year Association of New York 's Gold Medal Award "in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York." In 1935, he became president of the New York World Fair Corporation and put
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#17327728279293692-471: The escalation of violence by the police, Whalen was forced to resign his post within two months. He was later appointed by Fiorello La Guardia as Chairman of the Mayor's Committee on Receptions to Distinguished Guests , succeeding William Francis Deegan , and became a public celebrity easily recognized by his exquisitely groomed moustache and carnation boutonniere . In this capacity, in which he served until
3763-519: The first few chapters, Whalen writes with a nostalgic pen recollecting memories of the family culture of the close-knit neighborhood he grew up in on the Lower East Side. Contrasted against his writing emphasizing efficiency and organization regarding later years, particularly when working for the Mayor's Office and as Police Commissioner, Whalen longs for his childhood days, when everyone in his neighborhood knew everyone by first name. Also, in
3834-422: The five boroughs has an elected borough president . The borough presidents can have legislation introduced in the council, recommend capital projects, hold public hearings on matters of public interest, make recommendations to the mayor and to other city officials, make recommendations on land use and planning, and make recommendations regarding the performance of contracts providing for the delivery of services, in
3905-497: The interests of the people of their borough. Each of the five boroughs has a borough board . They are composed of the borough president , Council members from the borough, and the chairperson of each community board in the borough. The borough boards can hold or conduct public or private hearings, adopt by-laws, prepare comprehensive and special purpose plans and make recommendations for land use and planning, mediate disputes and conflicts among two or more community boards, submit
3976-424: The last chapter he concludes by describing his fascination with New York, using the trajectory of his professional career as evidence of the proposed American dream: "New York means to me a place where anyone can still rise to the top, no matter how humble his beginnings." While it is true that Whalen was born to immigrant parents and eventually became a public figure, much of his success came from his connections with
4047-666: The mayor, comptroller, president of the City Council, and the five borough presidents . The three citywide officials each cast two votes, and the borough presidents one each. In 1989, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the Board of Estimate as violating the principle of "one man, one vote", due to the dramatically unequal numbers of constituents being represented by each borough president. The city subsequently adopted its current arrangement by referendum. The state court system in New York City has two citywide courts,
4118-501: The mayor. The majority of agency commissioners and department heads report to one of the deputy mayors, giving the role a great deal of power within a mayoral administration. Deputy mayors do not have any right to succeed to the mayoralty in the case of vacancy or incapacity of the mayor. Under Eric Adams "The mayor has the power to appoint and remove the commissioners of more than 40 city agencies and members of City boards and commissions." These include: The mayor of New York City
4189-485: The planning and intricacies behind the parades for returning World War II soldiers, most notably General Dwight D. Eisenhower in June 1945. Although Whalen claims that he wrote extensively about those accounts because he thought his readers would find them most interesting, many accounts are a subtle way of documenting his accomplishments over the course of his career. Taking into account Minton's encouragement to write about
4260-439: The staff of John Wanamaker 's department store, with which he would long be associated. He married Anna Dolores Kelly in 1913. Whalen ran his father's ash and garbage disposal business for a time before becoming involved in politics, working for the election of John F. Hylan as Mayor of New York . After Hylan became Mayor in 1918, Whalen was appointed to be Commissioner of Plants and Structures. In this position he supervised
4331-586: The state Unified Court System. The Criminal Court of the City of New York handles summons court appearance tickets, violations, misdemeanors (generally, crimes punishable by fine or imprisonment of up to one year), and conducts arraignments (initial court appearances following arrest) and preliminary hearings in felony cases. The Civil Court of the City of New York includes Housing Court for landlord-tenant matters, Small Claims Court for cases involving amounts up to $ 5000, and generally has jurisdiction for damages up to $ 25,000. It handles about 25% of all
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#17327728279294402-422: The state and city in 1861, and played a major role in New York City politics into the 1960s and was a dominant player from the mayoral victory of Fernando Wood in 1854 through the era of Robert Wagner (1954–1965). Its last political leader was an African American man named J. Raymond Jones . The mayor of New York City may appoint several deputy mayors to help oversee major offices within the executive branch of
4473-519: The supposed curse "a statistical fluke." Local tabloid newspapers often refer to the mayor as "Hizzoner", a corruption of the honorific style His Honor . Spin City , a 1990s TV sitcom , starred Michael J. Fox as a deputy mayor of New York under Barry Bostwick 's fictional Mayor Randall Winston. Several mayors have appeared in television and movies, as well as on Broadway , most notably in The Will Rogers Follies . In
4544-415: The transformative social and cultural change happening within the city. Furthermore, the autobiography ignores any corruption during his career in public service. Throughout his writings, he often refers to the advantages of political ambition under the wing of Tammany Hall. However, he never admits to any moral wrongdoing of the political machine. Also, after the stock market crashed in 1929, Frank Costello
4615-438: The transformative societal change of New York during the first quarter of the twentieth century, had Minton been alive to read the published version of Whalen's autobiography, he might have been disappointed. For a man responsible for implementing much of New York City's policies working in the Mayor's office and later as NYPD police commissioner, Whalen offers a limited perspective into the implications of his professional career on
4686-425: Was born on July 2, 1886, in New York City, the son of an Irish immigrant father and a French-Canadian mother. They named their son after President Grover Cleveland , who was married on the same day that their child was born. His father, Michael Whalen, was a successful trucking contractor and a Tammany Hall supporter. Grover Whalen attended DeWitt Clinton High School and afterwards studied law. He then joined
4757-402: Was changed from two to three on October 23, 2008, when the New York City Council voted 29–22 in favor of passing the term limit extension into law. However, in 2010, a referendum reverting the limit to two terms passed overwhelmingly. The position of mayor of New York has been branded as the "second toughest job" in the United States of America, behind only the U.S. president. The current mayor
4828-520: Was described by a reporter from the New York Times : Hundreds of policemen and detectives, swinging nightsticks, blackjacks, and bare fists, rushed into the crowd, hitting out at all with whom they came into contact, chasing many across the street and into adjacent thoroughfares and pushing hundreds off their feet. From all parts of the scene of battle came the screams of women and cries of men with bloody heads and faces. Sharply criticized for
4899-535: Was known to be a ruthless enforcer of Prohibition laws. Whalen was famously quoted as saying, "There is plenty of law at the end of a nightstick ." Whalen came under fire for police handling of the International Unemployment Day demonstration on March 6, 1930, in New York City, in which an impromptu march of 35,000 or more demonstrators down Broadway to New York City Hall was set upon by 1,000 baton-wielding police. The brutal scene
4970-418: Was recorded telling Lucky Luciano that he had to advance Whalen $ 30,000 to cover his margin calls on the market. A few seconds later he said, "What could I do? We own him." Although Whalen omits this in his autobiography, he was a somewhat corrupt public figure. In the beginning and ending chapters of the autobiography, Whalen provides valuable insight on the many things he values and loves about his city. In
5041-465: Was reported that Governor Kathy Hochul was considering whether to use that process against Eric Adams after his indictment on federal corruption charges. Prior to 2024, the last New York governor to consider exercising this power was in 1932, when Franklin D. Roosevelt considered removing Jimmy Walker as mayor, who was accused of taking bribes from city contractors; however, Walker resigned before Roosevelt could remove him. The charter also provides
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