In this chapter, the story follows Mayor Fiorello La Guardia during his final year in office in 1945, as his health faltered and his political support crumbled. With his coalition falling apart and neither major party willing to back him for another term, La Guardia decided to step aside and threw his support behind reform candidate Newbold Morris. Meanwhile, Robert Moses, who had once stood firmly against Tammany Hall, surprised many by withholding criticism of their candidate, William O'Dwyer. O'Dwyer, eager for Moses’s expertise, offered him sweeping control over city construction projects. This move marked a turning point for Moses, who shifted from reformer to shrewd political operator. By the end of the chapter, La Guardia looked back with regret, realizing that Moses’s influence had become overwhelming. Observers like Binger shared this concern, highlighting just how much the balance of power in New York City had changed.