| Tweed, William Marcy Known as "Boss Tweed." 1823-1878. American politician. The Democratic boss of New York City in the 1860s, he defrauded the city of millions of dollars before being exposed and convicted (1873). |
A New York City political leader, known as Boss Tweed, who in the late 1860s ran a network of corrupt city officials called the Tweed Ring. Under Tweed, city officials extorted kickbacks from contractors and others doing business with the city. His name is synonymous with municipal corruption.