Edward J. Flynn
Edward Flynn was a Democratic politician from the Bronx, who served in several elected positions in his political career, but wielded his real power as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Bronx County Democratic Committee for more than thirty years. Flynn became one of FDR’s most trusted political advisors. Flynn ruled the Bronx and the Democratic voters there, ensuring that Roosevelt received the needed support of the borough.
As with all bosses in the world of political machines, Flynn rewarded loyalty with patronage, but was notably successful in avoiding the corruption which prevailed in so many other locales and machines. The New Deal championed by FDR provided ample opportunities for federal funds to be diverted, as happened in Kansas City and elsewhere, but the Bronx under Flynn remained scandal and corruption free.
Flynn traveled to Yalta with FDR, and later met with the Pope at the president’s request, but retained his control over local politics in the Bronx. He ran FDR’s campaigns for his third and fourth election victories, and later worked for Roosevelt’s successor, Harry Truman.
Flynn’s political savvy and renowned ability to get out the vote, honed in the Bronx over many years, was used to help the Democratic parties of other localities ensure that large numbers of otherwise disinterested voters turned out in November 1948, helping Truman to pull off his upset victory over Dewey.
Flynn later published a memoir describing his career in party politics which describes the operation of the political machine in the Bronx and elsewhere. Entitled You’re the Boss it contains a clear explanation – and justification – of the role and function of the boss of a political machine.