Carmine Gerard DeSapio (December 10, 1908 – July 27, 2004) was an American politician from New York City. He was the last head of the Tammany Hall political machine to dominate municipal politics. Early life and career DeSapio was born in lower Manhattan. His father was an Italian immigrant from Sicily, while his mother was a second generation Italian American. DeSapio's father operated a trucking business. DeSapio graduated from Fordham University in 1931. He started his career in the Tammany Hall organization as an errand boy and messenger for precinct captains. DeSapio earned a reputation during his deliveries of coal and turkey on behalf of the local Tammany club by thanking recipients for their acceptance of Tammany handouts. Tammany Hall had dominated New York City politics from the mayoral victory of Fernando Wood in 1854 until the election of Fiorello H. La Guardia in 1933. DeSapio was first elected a district captain in 1939, but was rejected by the leadership in the struggle between Irish and Italian interests for control of the organization. In 1943 he was accepted as district leader for lower Greenwich Village. Tammany Hall boss In 1949, DeSapio became the youngest "boss" in the history of Tammany Hall, succeeding Hugo Rogers. DeSapio's Italian heritage signaled the end of Tammany's longtime dominance by Irish-American politicians, and he became the first nationally prominent Italian-American political leader. Unlike many previous Tammany Hall bosses, DeSapio always made his decisions known to the public and promoted himself as a reformer. As boss of Tammany, he demonstrated liberal credentials when he diversified Tammany's leadership by naming the first Puerto Rican Manhattan district leader, Anthony Mandez, and backed Hulan Jack as Manhattan's first African-American Borough President. His ties with Frank Costello also failed to halt his rise to power in the local political scene. DeSapio reformed Tammany Hall's traditional sale of judgeships early in his role as Boss, reducing the cost of a position of judge from $75,000 to $25,000. This money was used to offset the cost of campaign expenses. Public image DeSapio always seemed a personally modest man. Even though he operated out of four lavish offices, he lived for fifty years in a middle-class apartment on Washington Square with his wife Theresa Natale ("Natalie") and daughter Geraldine. As leader of Tammany Hall, DeSapio reveled in the limelight, attending charitable fund-raising events, making himself available to the press, and delivering speeches in