"Parrot's Puppet", and the city government in the 1920s was said to be controlled by the "Parrot-Cryer machine". From his position of influence in city government, Parrot became associated with the city's vice king, Charles H. Crawford, and bootleggers Tony Cornero and Albert Marco. Though discreet in public, Parrot reportedly socialized with the city's criminal leaders at his private apartment at the city's newest opulent hotel, the Biltmore. Cryer's opponent in the 1925 mayoral election, Benjamin F. Bledsoe, focused attention on Parrot's role in city government: "I ask, as I shall continue to ask through this campaign: 'Mr. Cryer, how much longer is Kent Parrot going to be the de-facto Mayor of Los Angeles'?" The Los Angeles Times in April 1925 ran a front-page editorial under the headline, "SHALL WE RE-ELECT KENT PARROT?" The editorial said of Parrot: A condition exists in the municipal government of Los Angeles that has existed in other great cities in times past -- boss control. ... Although Mayor Cryer's name appears alone on the primary election ballot, the result is no less vital to Mr. Parrot than to Mr. Cryer. Elect Mr. Cryer and elect Mr. Parrot; defeat Mr. Cryer and eliminate Mr. Parrot. The Mayor of Los Angeles, who should be free from domination by any individual or interest, is cloaked with official authority that does not require the additional support of a political fixer. There should be no one attached to the office of Mayor whose peculiar genius runs to the business of controlling patronage, of fixing cases in police court, of interfering with police activities, of ordering the affairs of the gambler, the bootlegger, the bookmaker and other breakers of the law. Los Angeles does not need a boss. Nevertheless, Cryer was reelected in the May primary by 82,188 votes to 67,722 for Bledsoe, the next finisher. By 1927, the Los Angeles Times was increasingly critical of the relationship between Parrot and Cryer, referring to Cryer as Parrot's "personal mayor". Though the Times had been a strong backer of Cryer, the paper in 1927 published an editorial referring to the city government as "Our Local Tammany", with Parrot in the role of Boss Tweed. The article focused its attack on the "clumsy" corruption of the political machine run by "Boss Parrot": Evidently Boss Parrot's subordinates are not well trained. Give him a few more years in control and he will, perhaps,