Tweed and his associates leveraged their political power to siphon hundreds of millions of dollars from land speculation, public works projects, and outright bribes. At the height of his power, Tweed and his confederates could influence nearly every significant position in government, from ward-level bosses to the highest courts. Tweed derived that power, however, from his grasp and control of Irish immigrants who, by their sheer numbers, helped him manipulate elections. But in 1871, a clash between Irish Protestants and Catholics resulted in the deaths of more than sixty civilians, testing the city’s tolerance of the Tammany machine.
Invigorated reformers, led by Democrat Samuel Tilden, no relation apparently to the early 20th century legendary tennis champion Bill Tilden, although that
