▁Days . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁Lev ine ▁had ▁supported ▁reform ist ▁mayor ▁Ber tha ▁K . ▁Landes ▁and , ▁according ▁to ▁his ▁own ▁account ▁was ▁surprised ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁City ▁Pl anning ▁Commission ▁by ▁Mayor ▁Frank ▁E . ▁Edwards , ▁her ▁successor ▁who ▁defeated ▁her ▁in ▁an ▁election . ▁Lev ine ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁city ▁council ▁July ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁to ▁fill ▁a ▁vac ancy ▁left ▁when ▁Mayor ▁Edwards ▁was ▁re called ▁in ▁a ▁special ▁election ▁the ▁previous ▁day . ▁The ▁council ▁elected ▁its ▁own ▁president , ▁Robert ▁H . ▁Har lin ▁as ▁mayor ▁and ▁Lev ine ▁was ▁selected ▁to ▁fill ▁his ▁un exp ired ▁council ▁term . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁repeatedly ▁re - elect ed ▁by ▁the ▁public , ▁serving ▁over ▁three ▁dec ades ▁on ▁the ▁council , ▁and ▁serving ▁as ▁council ▁president ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 – 3 5 , ▁ 1 9 3 8 – 3 9 , ▁ 1 9 4 1 – 4 2 , ▁ 1 9 5 0 – 5 4 , ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 6 - 6 2 . ▁N ard ▁Jones ▁describes ▁him ▁as ▁having ▁been ▁" virt ually ▁mayor ▁as ▁far ▁as ▁power ▁and ▁action ▁went ." ▁His ▁sole ▁elect oral ▁defeat ▁came ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁when ▁a ▁political ▁ins ur gency ▁by ▁a ▁young ▁men ' s ▁group ▁called ▁the ▁New ▁Order ▁of ▁C inc inn atus