This chapter paints a vivid picture of the tangled relationship between New York City’s postwar mayors and Robert Moses. Tracing the administrations of William O’Dwyer, Vincent Impellitteri, and Robert F. Wagner, Jr., the narrative explores how Moses steadily built, consolidated, and maintained his grip on the city, frequently sidelining democratic processes and the authority of elected officials in the process.
The story begins with William O’Dwyer, an Irish immigrant whose charm and ambition carried him from modest beginnings to the mayor’s office. Despite his genuine love for New York and his desire to address its postwar challenges, O’Dwyer’s time as mayor was marred by persistent rumors of corruption and ties to organized crime figures like James F. Moran and Frank Costello. Overwhelmed by the city’s mounting deficits, neglected infrastructure, and urgent housing needs, O’Dwyer turned to Robert Moses, whose reputation for getting things done made him seem indispensable.
Moses quickly seized the moment, proposing a sweeping fiscal plan that prioritized his own highway projects while pushing aside much-needed investments in schools and hospitals. He advocated for tax hikes and a subway fare increase that hit the city’s poor hardest, sparing the wealthy and favoring motorists. These moves drew sharp criticism from liberals such as Stanley Isaacs, who argued that Moses’ agenda forced low-income families to shoulder the burden for projects that mostly benefited the affluent. Moses also sought greater control over housing authority appointments and airport financing, raising further concerns about fairness and the concentration of power.
The political wrangling around Moses’ airport plan showcased his knack for manipulating city and state politics. Despite objections from city officials like La Guardia and Comptroller Joseph, Moses used political pressure and threats to bring Democratic legislators in line with his vision. He sidelined city leaders and positioned himself as the key intermediary between city and state, ultimately securing expanded authority, new funding streams, and control over major projects. Throughout these negotiations, Moses kept crucial details hidden from both the mayor and the public, quietly amassing even more power.
Grateful for Moses’ help during the fiscal crisis, O’Dwyer allowed him to fill agencies with loyalists and appoint key officials, giving Moses unprecedented sway over city policy. Moses openly bragged about his influence, reinforcing his image as the real power behind the administration. Yet as time went on, O’Dwyer grew frustrated with Moses’ broken promises, especially regarding emergency housing for veterans and the disruptive effects of expressway construction. In response, O’Dwyer assembled a loyal team, backed planning reforms, and removed some of Moses’ allies from influential posts. The breaking point came with the failed Idlewild airport financing plan, after which O’Dwyer stripped Moses of control over the city’s airports. Liberal groups called for Moses’ ouster, his access to the mayor was restricted, and his resignation was refused, marking a rare—if short-lived—dip in his power.
Even after these setbacks, Moses remained a force to be reckoned with. O’Dwyer’s attempts to launch housing projects stalled until Moses stepped in and secured full state funding, reasserting his influence. In transportation, Moses controlled key funding and could speed up or slow down projects to suit his own agenda, often undermining the mayor’s credibility. By pushing rival expressway projects and withdrawing support for parking garages, Moses ensured that any major accomplishments would be credited to him or his allies, not O’Dwyer.
One of the chapter’s most dramatic moments centers on the city’s bid to host the United Nations headquarters. Moses used his access to city funds and his connections with wealthy insiders to quickly marshal resources for the project. When the original Flushing Meadows site fell out of favor and the city lacked funds for a Manhattan location, Moses orchestrated a complex deal involving developer William Zeckendorf and the Rockefeller family. Through secret negotiations, he secured an $8.5 million gift from John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and navigated legal and legislative hurdles with remarkable speed. His decisive actions won him gratitude from key players and restored his access to the mayor, further cementing his dominance.
As O’Dwyer’s reliance on Moses deepened, Moses became the go-to figure for decisions on contracts, urban planning, and construction. His appointment as chair of the Mayor’s Committee on Slum Clearance gave him sweeping authority over urban renewal under the Housing Act of 1949. Despite some public criticism, Moses’ reputation for efficiency and integrity kept him at the center of city affairs.
The political dynamics of O’Dwyer’s 1949 re-election campaign further highlighted Moses’ influence. While O’Dwyer was already popular, Moses’ support through public works and ceremonial events gave the campaign an extra boost. After the election, Moses resumed controversial tenant relocations for his highway projects. The appointment of Jerry Finkelstein as chairman of the City Planning Commission brought a new push for reform, as Finkelstein advocated for a comprehensive Master Plan and exposed the inefficiencies of fragmented city departments. Despite Moses’ efforts to sway him, Finkelstein remained committed to reform.
The clash between Moses and Finkelstein over city planning was fierce. Moses, feeling threatened by proposed increases in planning staff, tried to block changes both privately and publicly, calling Finkelstein’s approach wasteful. However, Finkelstein rallied support from reformers and secured funding for his initiatives. The struggle came to a head over the Mid-Manhattan Elevated Expressway, where Moses’ financial clout ultimately determined the project’s fate, despite opposition favoring a less disruptive tunnel alternative.
The chapter also discusses the broader context of the era, marked by corruption scandals and O’Dwyer’s eventual downfall. Persistent rumors of his retirement, investigations into racketeering and police corruption, and the pressure of televised Senate hearings eventually forced O’Dwyer to resign and accept an ambassadorship to Mexico, leaving office under a cloud reminiscent of earlier Tammany Hall scandals.
Vincent R. Impellitteri’s accidental rise to the mayoralty after O’Dwyer’s resignation is depicted almost as a comedy of errors. An obscure legal secretary chosen for political balance, Impellitteri became a figurehead manipulated by others. His campaign, managed by savvy PR professionals, cast him as an independent, anti-corruption candidate closely linked to Moses, whose endorsement proved pivotal. Once in office, Impellitteri was overwhelmed, lacked initiative, and deferred to others, ultimately proving ill-suited for the job.
During Impellitteri’s brief tenure, Moses’ influence reached its peak. He effectively ran city decisions, holding daily private meetings at Gracie Mansion where he presented documents for the mayor to sign. His recommendations shaped high-level appointments and major policies. Moses also blocked independent planning efforts, notably preventing the publication and adoption of the City Planning Commission’s Master Plan by manipulating appointments and votes to ensure only his loyalists held power.
With Moses back in control, the reforms started by Finkelstein were quickly undone. Efforts to prioritize neighborhood needs and rational city planning were abandoned, young planners were pushed out, and investments in planning went to waste. Moses’ dominance extended to the City Council and Board of Estimate, where he stifled opposition and pushed through his projects, focusing on highways at the expense of schools, colleges, and libraries. This led to lopsided spending, overcrowded schools, and inadequate public facilities, while the city’s debt and maintenance costs soared. Moses’ approach favored rapid construction over long-term sustainability, leaving the city struggling to maintain its infrastructure.
The chapter also highlights how city spending priorities shifted during the O’Dwyer and Impellitteri years, with funds diverted from essential services to public works, even as the city’s most vulnerable residents needed more support. School maintenance was severely underfunded, creating a massive backlog of repairs. Meanwhile, Moses controlled the flow of state and federal funds, fueling vast construction projects and further entrenching his power. Though largely invisible to the public and press, Moses’ influence was decisive in shaping the city’s development and bureaucracy. Impellitteri’s political downfall was blamed on unpopular policies driven by Moses, who remained unaccountable and only grew more powerful.
The chapter closes with the transition to Robert F. Wagner, Jr.’s administration, which reformers hoped would finally rein in Moses. Despite initial resistance, Wagner ultimately gave in to Moses’ demands, allowing him to keep all his influential roles after a private confrontation. Moses continued to dominate the Housing Authority and other agencies through strategic appointments and behind-the-scenes maneuvering, even after formal reorganizations reduced his direct authority. In areas like parks and transportation, his power remained virtually unchallenged, with Wagner repeatedly yielding to his demands.
In the end, the chapter offers a compelling portrait of Robert Moses as the driving force behind New York City’s postwar transformation. Through a mix of political savvy, institutional control, and relentless ambition, Moses shaped the city’s development, often overriding the intentions of elected officials and the needs of its most vulnerable residents. The mayors of this era—O’Dwyer, Impellitteri, and Wagner—come across as largely powerless in the face of Moses’ dominance, their legacies defined as much by their inability to control him as by their own actions. The chapter ultimately sheds light on the ongoing tension between democratic governance and technocratic power in the making of modern cities.