Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Staff Review by Carol Ann Strahl:
New York City in the last decade of the 19th century and early years of the 20th century was a “cesspool of corruption.” When you learn the depth of the moral debasement of the city and state officials during that period, it is numbing. In nine square blocks of the city, there were 241 saloons and more than 50 brothels – one brothel just eight doors down from a Police station. The city had a Police force of almost 4,000 officers.
Theodore Roosevelt was brought in as NYC Police Commissioner to clean up this improper situation. He was already known as an uncompromising reformer, but as the title indicates, his two-year stint as Police Commissioner was unsuccessful in changing the moral climate of New York City. It was, however, his springboard to the national political stage and the U.S. Presidency.
Some of the facts are astounding. Thieves stole more horses in New York City than in the states of California & Texas. Tammany Hall was at its height, a hub of political favoritism. The Police turned a blind eye to the city’s most famous brothel for 35 years. And on any given night in the winter of 1895, there were 20,000 people with no home to go to.
As an aside, you will learn how the NY Yankees arrived in the Big Apple and who brought them to the City. When you finish the book, the reader can only come to the conclusion: “Only the names change – the behavior stays the same. Such is human nature.”
If you’re interested in this book, there is a library in your neighborhood where you can find it. Your public library is a source of immediate gratification. Take a walk to your local branch and discover a vital resource that is there for the taking. Whether it’s current events, a visit to our downtown cafe called Fables, something for the kids, or even booking a librarian, we’re not just books anymore! Your free Buffalo & Erie County Public Library card is your ticket to millions of free resources – e-books, downloadable music, research databases, genealogical materials, our complete catalog, and of course, more than 3 million book titles. All of this is at your fingertips at any Library in Erie County or from your own computer – check us out at www.buffalolib.org.