| Anton Joseph Cermak | |
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35th Mayor of Chicago
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| In office 1931 – 1933 |
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| Preceded by | William Hale Thompson |
| Succeeded by | Frank J. Corr |
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| Born | April 1, 1873 Kladno, Bohemia |
| Died | March 6, 1933 (aged 59) Miami, Florida, United States |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mary Horejs Cermak |
| Religion | Catholic |
Anton (Tony) Joseph Cermak, in Czech Antonín Josef Čermák, (IPA: [ˈantɔɲiːn ˈjɔzɛf ˈtʃ͡ɛrmaːk]) (May 9, 1873 – March 6, 1933) was the mayor of Chicago, Illinois, from 1931 until his assassination by Giuseppe Zangara in 1933. The Mayor of Chicago is the Chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest City in the United Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. William Hale Thompson ( May 14, 1869 – March 18, 1944) was mayor of Chicago from 1915 to 1923 and again from 1927 to 1931 Frank J Corr ( Brooklyn, New York January 12, 1877 - Chicago, Illinois June 3, 1934; buried Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1873 ( MDCCCLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common See other places named Kladno. Kladno (ˈkladno is a city in the Central Bohemian Region ( Středočeský kraj) of the Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". Czech (ˈʧɛk čeština ˈʧɛʃcɪna in Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers it is the majority language in the Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 1873 ( MDCCCLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Mayor of Chicago is the Chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest City in the United Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Giuseppe Zangara ( September 7, 1900 &ndash March 20, 1933) attempted to kill United States President -elect Franklin Delano Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
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Early life and career
Born in Kladno, Bohemia (now in the Czech Republic), Cermak emigrated with his parents to the United States in 1874. See other places named Kladno. Kladno (ˈkladno is a city in the Central Bohemian Region ( Středočeský kraj) of the Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Year 1874 ( MDCCCLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He began his political career as a precinct captain and in 1902 was elected to the Illinois state legislature. Year 1902 ( MCMII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Seven years later, he would take his place as alderman of the 12th Ward (Bridgeport, the home base of future mayors Richard J. Daley, Michael Bilandic and Daley's son Richard M. Daley). Richard Joseph Daley ( May 15, 1902 – December 20, 1976) served for 21 years as the undisputed Democratic boss of Chicago Michael Anthony Bilandic ( February 13, 1923 – January 16, 2002) was an Illinois Politician who served as the Richard Michael Daley (born April 24 1942 is a United States Politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party and current mayor Cermak was elected president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners in 1922, chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party in 1928, and mayor of Chicago in 1931. Cook County is a county in the US state of Illinois. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles [1] In 1928 he ran for the United States Senate and was defeated by Republican Otis F. Glenn, receiving 46% of the vote. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Otis Ferguson Glenn was a Republican United States Senator from the State of Illinois.
Campaign for Mayor
His mayoral victory came in the wake of the Great Depression and the deep resentment many Chicagoans had of Prohibition and the increasing violence resulting from organized crime's control of Chicago, typified by the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, also known as Noble Experiment, refers to a Sumptuary law which prohibits Alcohol The following is a timeline of Organized Crime in Chicago. see also: Timeline of organized crime Events - Timeline The Saint Valentine's Day massacre is the name given to the murder of seven people as part of a Prohibition Era conflict between two powerful criminal gangs in Chicago
The many ethnic groups such as Poles, Czechs, Ukrainians, Jews, Italians, and African Americans began to settle in Chicago in the early 1900s and were mostly detached from the political system, due in part to lack of organization which led to underrepresentation in the City Council. A Polish American is an American citizen of Polish descent There are an estimated 10 million Americans of Polish descent Czech Americans refer to citizens of the United States who were born in or who descended from the territory of the historic Czech lands, (consisting of Ukrainian Americans (Українці Америки Українці у США are Citizens of the United States who are of Ukrainian ancestry American Jews, or Jewish Americans An Italian American is an American of Italian descent and/or dual citizenship African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa As an immigrant himself, Cermak recognized Chicago's relatively-new immigrants as a significant population of disenfranchised voters and a large power base for Cermak and his local Democratic organization.
Before Cermak, the Democratic party in Cook County was run by the "Lace Curtain" Irish, who generally despised everyone who wasn't "Lace Curtain," including the Irish from the Back of the Yards and Bridgeport neighborhoods, who were commonly referred to as "Pig Shit" Irish. Irish Americans (Gael-Mheiriceánach are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland. Neighborhoods Back of the Yards Back of the Yards is an industrial and residential neighborhood (located in the New City community area on the Southwest Side As Cermak climbed the local political ladder, the resentment of the Lace Curtain group grew. When the bosses rejected his bid to become the mayoral candidate, Cermak swore revenge. That is when he formed his non-Irish political army and eventually wooed black politician William L. Dawson to switch from the Republican to the Democratic Party. William Levi Dawson ( April 26 1886 - November 9 1970) was an African American politician and lawyer who was involved in local politics Dawson would go on to become a US Congressman (from the 1st District) and soon the most powerful black politician in Illinois. The 1st Congressional District of Illinois includes part of Cook County, and has been represented by Democrat Bobby Rush since January
Cermak's political and organizational skills helped create one of the most powerful political organizations of his day, and Cermak is considered the father of Chicago's Democratic machine. With support from Franklin D. Roosevelt on the national level, Cermak gradually wooed members of Chicago's growing black community into the Democratic fold.
When Cermak challenged the incumbent "Big Bill" Thompson in the 1931 mayor's race, Thompson, representative of Chicago's existing power structure, responded with ethnic slurs:
- I won't take a back seat to that Bohunk, Chairmock, Chermack or whatever his name is. William Hale Thompson ( May 14, 1869 – March 18, 1944) was mayor of Chicago from 1915 to 1923 and again from 1927 to 1931 Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The following is a list of ethnic slurs that are or have been used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given Ethnicity or to refer to them in a derogatory (critical
- Tony, Tony, where's your pushcart at?
- Can you picture a World's Fair mayor?
- With a name like that?
Cermak's reply, "He doesn't like my name. A Century of Progress International Exposition was the name of a World's Fair held in Chicago, Illinois from 1933 to 1934 to celebrate . . it's true I didn't come over on the Mayflower, but I came over as soon as I could. The Mayflower was the famous Ship that transported the English Separatists better known as the Pilgrims, from Southampton, England " It was a sentiment to which ethnic Chicagoans could relate and Thompson's slur largely backfired. [2]
The flamboyant Thompson's reputation as a buffoon and the voters' disgust with the corruption of his machine and his inability or unwillingness to clean up organized crime in Chicago were cited as major factors in Cermak capturing 58% of the vote in the mayoral election on April 6, 1931. The following is a timeline of Organized Crime in Chicago. see also: Timeline of organized crime Events - Timeline Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Cermak's victory finished Thompson as a political power and largely ended the Republican Party's power in Chicago — no Republican has held the office of mayor of Chicago since Thompson's exit in 1931. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Mayor
For nearly his entire administration, Cermak had to deal with a major tax revolt. From 1931 to 1933, the Association of Real Estate Taxpayers mounted a "tax strike. The Association of Real Estate Taxpayers (ARET was an organization of real-estate taxpayers in Chicago and Cook County Illinois. " At its height, ARET, which was headed by John M. Pratt and James E. Bistor, had over thirty thousand members. John Morgan Pratt (b March 23 1886, Sharpsville Indiana - d June 15 1954, Chicago Illinois) was a Tax resistance James Eugene Bistor (b July 20 1890, Macomb Illinois - d 1940, Chicago Illinois) was a Tax resistance leader and Much to Cermak's dismay, it successfully slowed down the collection of real estate taxes through litigation and promoting refusal to pay. In the meantime, the city found it difficult to pay teachers and maintain services.
Assassination
While shaking hands with President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt at Bayfront Park in Miami, Florida, on February 15, 1933, Cermak was shot[3] in the lung and seriously wounded when Giuseppe Zangara, alleged at the time to be attempting to assassinate Roosevelt, hit Cermak instead. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Giuseppe Zangara ( September 7, 1900 &ndash March 20, 1933) attempted to kill United States President -elect Franklin Delano AssassiNation is the sixth album by Krisiun, released in 2006 on Century Media.
Later, rumors circulated that Cermak, not Roosevelt, had been the intended target, as his promise to clean up Chicago's rampant lawlessness posed a threat to Al Capone and the Chicago organized crime syndicate. Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone (January 17 1899 &ndash January 25 1947 commonly nicknamed Scarface, was an Italian American Gangster who "Crime syndicate" redirects here For the DC Comics group of villains see Crime Syndicate. One of the first people to suggest the organized crime theory was reporter Walter Winchell, who happened to be in Miami the evening of the shooting. Walter Winchell ( April 7, 1897 &ndash February 20, 1972) was an American newspaper and radio commentator Zangara repeatedly said, and the Miami Police agreed with him that he never got off more than three rounds from his pistol. Furthermore, Zangara's pistol was manufactured to fire five rounds, yet police recovered seven bullets from the scene. Later, while Roosevelt waited in the halls of the Jackson Memorial Hospital where Cermak was being treated, he pointed out to his Secret Service detail, that not one of the six people shot was near him when they were hit. In fact, they were at least thirty feet away from him, but only two or three feet away from Cermak. He added Zangara had not fired a single shot at him during the eight-minute window that was his speech. Roosevelt concluded that Zangara was "a Chicago gangster" sent to kill Cermak and said as much for the rest of his life. Cermak was quoted as saying "I'm glad it was me instead of you" to Roosevelt while headed to the hospital. [1]
Long-time Chicago newsman Len O'Connor offers a different view of the events surrounding Cermak's death. He has written that aldermen "Paddy" Bauler and Charlie Weber informed him that relations between Cermak and FDR were strained because Cermak fought FDR's nomination at the Democratic convention in Chicago, and the legend that his last words were "I'm glad it was me instead of you" was, according to O'Connor [4], totally fabricated by Weber and Bauler.
Death
Cermak died of his wounds on March 6 and was interred at Bohemian National Cemetery in Chicago. Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of The mayor's death was followed by a struggle for succession to his party chairmanship and to the mayor's office.
A plaque honoring Cermak still lies at the site of the assassination in Miami's Bayfront Park. It is inscribed with Cermak's words to FDR after he was shot, "I'm glad it was me instead of you. "
Following Cermak's death, 22nd Street, a major east-west artery that traversed Chicago's West Side and the close-in suburbs of Cicero and Berwyn, areas with a significant Czech population, was renamed Cermak Road. Cicero is an Incorporated town in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Berwyn is a city in Cook County, Illinois, co-existent with Berwyn Township, which was formed in 1901 after breaking off from Cicero Township Cermak Road, formerly 22nd Street is a major east-west artery on Chicago 's south side and western suburbs
In 1943, a Liberty ship, the SS A. J. Cermak was named after Cermak. History and service In 1936 the American Merchant Marine Act was passed to subsidize the annual construction of 50 commercial merchant vessels to be used in wartime by It was scrapped in 1964.
Cermak's son-in-law, Otto Kerner, Jr., was governor of Illinois and a federal circuit judge. Otto Kerner Jr ( August 15, 1908 – May 9, 1976) was Democratic Governor of Illinois from 1961 to 1968
In popular culture
A hastily produced movie about Cermak, The Man Who Dared, was released within months of his death. Further, there was a made for TV movie, The Gun of Zangara, about Cermak's assassination. It was originally a two-part episode of The Untouchables, where it had the title "The Unhired Assassin. The Untouchables is the name of a television series that ran from 1959 to 1963 on the American Broadcasting Company. "
See also
References
- ^ Hirsch, Arnold R. This is a list of assassinated American politicians. Individuals listed were either elected or appointed to office or were candidates for elected office "Democratic Party. " Encyclopedia of Chicago.
- ^ Wendt, Lloyd (1979). Chicago Tribune. Chicago: Rand McNally. ISBN 0-528-81826-0.
- ^ Freedom of Information Act : Franklin D. Roosevelt (assassination attempt) [electronic resource]. Retrieved on 2007-06-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected
- ^ O'Connor, Len: Clout: Mayor Daley and His City. McGraw-Hill/Contemporary, 1984. ISBN 0-8092-5424-7.
- Beito, David T. Taxpayers in Revolt: Tax Resistance during the Great Depression. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1989.
- Gottfried, Alex. Boss Cermak of Chicago: A Study of Political Leadership. Seattle: University of Chicago Press, 1962.
External links
| Preceded by William Hale Thompson |
Mayor of Chicago 1931–1933 |
Succeeded by Frank J. Corr |
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