The chapter traces the dramatic revival of New York City’s Good Government movement, or “Goo Goos,” in the early 1930s—a time when the city was reeling from economic crisis and rampant corruption. The movement’s resurgence was fueled by Samuel Seabury’s dogged investigations, which peeled back layers of graft and misconduct in city government. What began as a source of cynical amusement for the public soon turned into genuine outrage, as Seabury’s findings made it impossible to ignore the need for reform. With the Great Depression worsening, calls for change grew louder, and reformers set out to find a mayoral candidate who could inspire confidence and restore integrity to City Hall.
Robert Moses quickly became the frontrunner among both veteran and younger reformers. He was widely respected for his administrative acumen and unblemished reputation, and his close ties to Al Smith—a former governor and reform legend—only strengthened his candidacy. Yet, beneath the surface, tensions simmered. Seabury, a principled legal mind with a lifelong grudge against Tammany Hall and its allies, could not bring himself to support Moses, whom he associated with Smith and the old political machine. This personal and political feud proved pivotal: Seabury’s refusal to back Moses led Moses to withdraw, leaving the Fusion Committee scrambling for alternatives.
Finding a suitable nominee proved difficult. Well-known figures like Raymond Ingersoll and Nathan Straus turned down the offer, citing everything from health issues to fears of antisemitism—a concern heightened by the rise of Hitler in Europe. Meanwhile, Fiorello La Guardia, despite his outsider status and previous electoral losses, actively campaigned for the nomination. His fiery rhetoric and progressive politics, however, made many in the Fusion Conference Committee uneasy. They preferred someone from their own social circles and were wary of La Guardia’s populist approach, even though he had strong support among the city’s ethnic communities. At first, both reformers and Republican leaders resisted La Guardia, holding out hope for Moses.
As political infighting escalated, Seabury, frustrated by the committee’s preference for Moses, accused its leaders of selling out to Tammany Hall and threatened to launch his own ticket. The committee’s eventual nomination of John F. O’Ryan did little to appease him; Seabury dismissed O’Ryan as too weak to take on the city’s entrenched interests. In the end, Seabury and Charles Culp Burlingham convinced the committee to nominate La Guardia. Although Moses had been sidelined by Seabury’s opposition, he ultimately threw his support behind La Guardia late in the campaign. Moses’s endorsement, coupled with his blistering attacks on Tammany Hall, helped solidify La Guardia’s image as a true reformer and played a key role in his victory.
Once in office, La Guardia wasted no time inviting Moses to join his administration. He admired Moses’s track record and recognized the need for someone with his expertise to secure federal funding and oversee ambitious public works projects. Moses agreed, but only if he was given unified control over the city’s parks and parkways. Through savvy political maneuvering and broad support from reformers, Moses amassed unprecedented authority, taking charge of seven major agencies and leaving a lasting imprint on the city’s infrastructure.
During the New Deal years, Moses’s leadership was marked by an unyielding drive to reshape New York’s parks and public spaces. Frustrated by the inefficiency of federal relief programs, he conducted a sweeping assessment of the city’s needs and assembled a team of top-notch professionals to carry out bold, innovative projects. His vision included transforming places like Orchard Beach, where he pushed for the removal of unsightly structures and the creation of a sweeping, sandy shoreline with striking new architecture. Moses’s approach ushered in a new era of urban transformation, blending grand ideas with practical execution and setting a high bar for the city’s future development.