William C. Dodge
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William Copeland Dodge (September 6, 1880 – August 4, 1973) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician in
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, New York, United States. He was an associate of the
Tammany Hall Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It became the main loc ...
political organization in the city.


Early life

William Copeland Dodge was born on September 6, 1880
Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is a city in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the most populous city in New Hampshire. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 115,644. Manchester is, along with Nashua, one of two seats of New Ha ...
to Arthur Pillsbury Dodge (1849–1915) and Elizabeth Ann Day (1854–1927). The family moved to
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in 1891, and then to
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
in 1897. Dodge graduated from
Stevens Institute of Technology Stevens Institute of Technology is a private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey. Founded in 1870, it is one of the oldest technological universities in the United States and was the first college in America solely dedicated to mechanical ...
, and from
New York University School of Law New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City and the oldest surviving law school in N ...
. He was admitted to the bar in 1906. He later entered politics as a member of
Tammany Hall Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It became the main loc ...
; his patron was
James Joseph Hines James Joseph Hines (December 18, 1876 – March 26, 1957) was a Democratic Party politician and one of the most powerful leaders of Tammany Hall in New York City. Biography In his early years, Hines acted as a caretaker to residents in New Yor ...
.


Political career

He was elected in 1918 as a member of the New York State Senate (20th D.), serving in
1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the ...
and 1920. As a State Senator he was active in urging an investigation of
William Hamilton Anderson William Hamilton Anderson (1874 – c. 1959) was the superintendent of the New York Anti-Saloon League. He worked toward the prohibition of alcohol and the closing of saloons. In 1924 a jury convicted him of skimming contributions to the league ...
of the
New York Anti-Saloon League The New York Anti-Saloon League was an American organization that worked toward the prohibition of alcohol and the closing of saloons. Located at 156 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, it was an offshoot of the Ohio-based Anti-Saloon League. Adna W. Leonard ...
. In December 1924, he was appointed by D.A. Joab H. Banton as an Assistant D.A. of New York County. In 1927, he was appointed by Mayor
Jimmy Walker James John Walker (June 19, 1881November 18, 1946), known colloquially as Beau James, was mayor of New York City from 1926 to 1932. A flamboyant politician, he was a liberal Democrat and part of the powerful Tammany Hall machine. He was forced t ...
as a city magistrate to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of Norman J. Marsh. In November 1933, Dodge was elected
New York County District Attorney The New York County District Attorney, also known as the Manhattan District Attorney, is the elected district attorney for New York County (Manhattan), New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws ...
with promises to clean up the office by eliminating leaks. Leaks in the prosecution of racketeering cases had earlier led to intimidation of witnesses, thereby allowing more notable criminals to escape prosecution. His plan was to provide to the grand jury only the minimum information required to receive an indictment.


Runaway grand jury

In 1934, a grand jury was convened to investigate gambling in the city. The grand jury sat for 11 months, but resulted in only a few prosecutions. Charges were made that politicians were regularly fixing gambling cases. A memo by Mayor
Fiorello La Guardia Fiorello Henry LaGuardia (; born Fiorello Enrico LaGuardia, ; December 11, 1882September 20, 1947) was an American attorney and politician who represented New York in the House of Representatives and served as the 99th Mayor of New York City fro ...
's office showed that between February 1 and September 30, 1934, 91% of the gambling cases brought by police never even came to trial, and of those that did come to trial, one third ended in fines usually under $50. On March 4, 1935, Dodge convened a grand jury to investigate gambling, and in particular the actions of
Dutch Schultz Dutch Schultz (born Arthur Simon Flegenheimer; August 6, 1901October 24, 1935) was an American mobster. Based in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s, he made his fortune in organized crime-related activities, including bootlegging and the n ...
. The grand jury spent its time with other cases and information on witnesses was being leaked. Grand jurors complained that only junior investigators were assigned to them. Gambling kingpins were quoted in the newspapers boasting that they would never be indicted. The jurors complained in open court about the problems on May 7, 1935, which was widely reported by the city newspapers. On May 22, 1935, Dodge agreed to appoint a special prosecutor from a list prepared by the New York County Lawyers Association. He balked at appointing any of the Republicans on the list because he considered them political opponents of Democrats. Instead, he selected H. H. Corbin, a compromise candidate proposed by former Republican Governor
Nathan L. Miller Nathan Lewis Miller (October 10, 1868 – June 26, 1953) was an American lawyer and politician who was Governor of New York from 1921 to 1922. Early life and education Nathan Miller was born on October 10, 1868, the son of Samuel Miller, a te ...
, despite objections by the grand jurors. When the juror objections were made public, Corbin refused the appointment. The "runaway" grand jury disbanded in June, still complaining that the cases were not adequately being investigated. On June 24, 1935 Governor Herbert H. Lehman said a new investigation would occur. Of the four names that were put forth, only
Thomas E. Dewey Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer, prosecutor, and politician who served as the 47th governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican candidate for president in 1944 and 1948: although ...
accepted the task; he brought a series of successful prosecutions. Dodge chose not to run for re-election in 1937, and he left office at the end of his term in December 1937. Republican Thomas Dewey was elected in November to succeed him as New York County Attorney. It remains unclear whether Dodge criminally profited from the events. It was revealed that gangster
Dutch Schultz Dutch Schultz (born Arthur Simon Flegenheimer; August 6, 1901October 24, 1935) was an American mobster. Based in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s, he made his fortune in organized crime-related activities, including bootlegging and the n ...
paid $15,000 for his election. His patron Hines was quoted in his own trial as saying Dodge was "stupid, respectable, and my man." Dodge was never formally charged with any wrongdoing.


Death and legacy

Dodge died on August 4, 1973 in Lee, Florida. Dodge kept scrapbooks throughout his life documenting his career and personal interests. These scrapbooks are housed in the Special Collections of the Lloyd Sealy Library at
John Jay College of Criminal Justice The John Jay College of Criminal Justice (John Jay) is a public college focused on criminal justice and located in New York City. It is a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY). John Jay was founded as the only liberal arts ...
. Included in the Dodge Collection are materials related to his campaign and clippings from New York City newspapers that documented local crime at the time.


References


Further reading


Arthur Pillsbury Dodge
at Bahá'í Encyclopedia
''Fighting Organized Crime: Politics, Justice, and the Legacy of Thomas E. Dewey''
by Mary M. Stolberg (Northeastern, 1995, ; page 50)

by Paul Sann *Little Flower: The Life and Times of Fiorello La Guardia by Lawrence Elliott (Morrow, 1983)
ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE INQUIRY CALLED FOR
in NYT on March 4, 1919

his son's shooting accident, in NYT on October 26, 1925

in NYT on August 3, 1938 (subscription required)
William C. Dodge Scrapbooks (1933-1937) collection
(not yet digitized) at Lloyd Sealy Library Special Collections, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York City {{DEFAULTSORT:Dodge, William C 1880 births 1973 deaths Politicians from Manchester, New Hampshire Lawyers from Chicago New York County District Attorneys Stevens Institute of Technology alumni New York University School of Law alumni Democratic Party New York (state) state senators 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American lawyers