Bill O Dwyer Biography

491 Words1 Page

The year was 1910, A young and eager William O’Dwyer slowly walked out of the ship to take in his new surroundings. He could feel the crisp New York City air on his face like a cool fan on a hot day. All around him he could see smokestack chimneys, frantic businessmen, and performers who dreamed of stardom. People come to New York City for a fresh start. And that was exactly what he planned to do. With $23.34 in his pocket he set out to start his new life. Little did he know that in 36 short years, he would be the mayor of the greatest city in the world. Bill O’Dwyer had to work his way up the New York political ladder. The Irish immigrant found a job that could pay the bills of living in a tiny studio apartment Hell’s Kitchen. In a personal interview with relative Liam O’Neill, whose mother, Joan O’Dwyer, was the niece of William, O’Neill states that “Uncle Bill was a hardworking man. When he first got to the United States. He worked as a grocery errand boy”. His many other jobs included a brick carrier on construction sites, a stocker of ship furnaces, and then a police along the Brooklyn waterfront. He went to law school at night to earn his degree and later he made his own private practice. He was the District Attorney and prosecuted a mafia called Murder Incorporated. eventually, he became Kings County judge. In 1941 O’Dwyer …show more content…

You would look out over the city from someplace high above it and you would say to yourself, good Jesus, it's too much for me." said O’Dwyer. “On August 31st, 60-year-old William O'Dwyer said goodbye to 30,000 New Yorkers in City Hall Park”. (Maeder) Says the New York Daily News. He became the ambassador to Mexico and started a more relaxed life with his wife Slone Simpson. “O’Dwyer served his city well in a variety of positions.” Says the New York Times. He is buried in Arlington National

More about Bill O Dwyer Biography

Open Document