Richard Croker

US politician, born in Co Cork, Ireland. His family came to New York City when he was three years old. He worked as a machinist and led a street gang, was a prize fighter, and became involved in Democratic Party politics by serving as an aide to John Kelly of Tammany Hall. Croker was elected alderman (1868), and when Kelly replaced the ousted (1871) ‘Boss’ Tweed as the boss of New York City (1874), Croker gained influence. When Kelly retired (1884) he left control of Tammany Hall to Croker. Although he held only one formal office during this period, that of city chamberlain (1889–90), for the next 17 years he had a large say in who was elected New York mayor, and he also controlled patronage. When reform candidate Seth Low was elected mayor (1901), Croker lost influence and returned to Ireland (1903), where he purchased a large estate and bred race-horses, one of which won the coveted English Derby. He was married twice, the second time to a Cherokee Indian.

Richard Croker (November 24, 1843 - 1922) was an American politician, a leader of New York City's Tammany Hall.

Born at Blackrock, Ireland, he was taken to the United States by his parents when two years old, and was educated in the public schools of New York City, where he eventually became a member of Tammany Hall and active in its politics. After the fall of John Kelly he became the leader of Tammany Hall, and for some time almost completely controlled that organization. As head of Tammany, Croker received bribe money from the owners of brothels, saloons and illegal gambling dens. He survived Charles Henry Parkhurst's attacks on Tammany Hall corruption and became a wealthy man. Van Wyck as first mayor of the five-borough "greater" New York, and during van Wyck's administration Croker is popularly supposed to have dominated completely the government of the city. After Croker's failure to carry the city in the presidential election of 1900 and the defeat of his mayoralty candidate, Edward M.