John Vincent Kenny (April 6, 1893 – June 2, 1975) was mayor of

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Frank Hague Frank Hague (January 17, 1876 – January 1, 1956) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as the Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey from 1917 to 1947, Democratic National Committeeman from New Jersey from 1922 until 1949, and Vice ...

, he broke with his mentor after Hague engineered the appointment of his nephew, Frank Hague Eggers, in 1947. Kenny put together a commission ticket that broke Hague's 32-year rule. Although he only served as mayor until 1953, he remained the real power in Jersey City and Hudson County for three decades.Grundy, J. Owen
Before 1949: Thirty Years War on Hagueism
Get NJ, 2003. Known as the "Little Guy," Kenny put together a machine that grew as corrupt as Hague's machine, though nowhere as efficient in providing city and county services. His rule was only broken in 1971, when he was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey and convicted, along with the then-mayor Thomas J. Whelan and former City Council president Thomas Flaherty, in federal court of conspiracy and extortion in a multimillion-dollar political kickback scheme on city and county contracts. Kenny suffered a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

and died on June 2, 1975, in Jersey City. He was buried in Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City.

References

1893 births 1975 deaths American political bosses American Roman Catholics Mayors of Jersey City, New Jersey New Jersey Democrats New Jersey politicians convicted of crimes Burials at Holy Name Cemetery (Jersey City, New Jersey) 20th-century American politicians {{NewJersey-mayor-stub