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Mr. Whalen's business colleagues were extremely reluctant to let him leave John Wanamaker. He is, they explained, "an extraordinary organizer and executive." Finally the Wanamaker reluctance was overcome and Grover Aloysius Whalen accepted the job of Police commissioner. "It is just that kind of man we want for this job," replied glib Mayor Walker, "... a job that we regard as vital to the welfare of New York City."
-The Rosenthal case of 1912, during the administration of the late Mayor William Jay Gaynor. Herman Rosenthal was a Jew gambler much like Rothstein. He ran houses downtown. When he tried to move uptown, he met opposition from police who protected uptown houses. He threatened to expose the police. A Lieut. Charles Becker, who had been his partner in downtown ventures, engaged the services of four famed gunmen—"Lefty Louis" Rosenberg, "Gyp the Blood" Horowitz, "Whitey" Lewis, "Dago Frank" Cirofici—and Rosenthal was shot down in West 43rd Street within 100 yards of four policemen. State's Attorney Charles S. Whitman accused the police of complicity. It took several months, and the special services of Detective William J. Burns, to obtain death sentences for Becker and the four gunmen. Mayor Gaynor, who had backed up his police chief, was asked to resign. He declined, but died of heart trouble before his term was out.
In 27 years, New York City has had 14 police commissioners. All but three were failures.