Hague. Kenny. Whelan.

Hague / Kenny / Whelan charts the rise of Frank Hague from Jersey City’s Irish ghetto to his three-decade domination of state and local politics. We look at his invincible Democratic organization, his war with organized labor, and his success in avoiding prosecution despite his misuse of political office for personal gain. We then turn to Hague’s successor, John V. Kenny, who would direct Hudson County’s Democratic machine for more than two decades, despite virulent infighting and a changing urban landscape. We examine Kenny’s links to organized crime and his brash extortion of city and county contractors. We conclude with the federal conviction of Kenny and his protégé Jersey City Mayor Thomas Whelan on charges of racketeering and tax evasion.

Presenter: Peter Begans has worked as a journalist at the Hudson Dispatch and NJ Monthly magazine, a researcher for ABC News, and served as a speechwriter for Governor Tom Kean.

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