William Magear Tweed, or Boss Tweed as he was called, was first elected to public office in 1852. According to this biography, he perfected a system of corruption that helped him control “the courts, the legislature, the treasury and the ballot box.” He laundered at least the equivalent of $1 billion today, much of which went into his or his associates’ pockets. Tweed was a complex figure, because despite his criminality, he improved the lives of the poor in New York City; he funded schools and hospitals and helped the disadvantaged navigate President Abraham Lincoln’s draft law, which allowed the rich to buy their way out of service. Our reviewer called Ackerman’s book an “excellent” biography: The story of Tweed’s rise and fall is told in a crisp, clear way.”

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CITY FOR SALE

Ed Koch and the Betrayal of New York

By Jack Newfield and Wayne Barrett

466 pp. Harper & Row. (1989)

This book, which picks up a century after Tweed’s reign, opens with Ed Koch being sworn in for a third term as mayor of New York. It provides an inside look at the corruption within Koch’s administration, like his behind-the-scenes cooperation with politicians he had promised to oppose. The writers showcase colorful characters, including politicians, mobsters and journalists.

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RUDY!

An Investigative Biography of Rudolph Giuliani

By Wayne Barrett

Assisted by Adam Fifield

498 pp. Basic Books. (2000)