(1874 - 1958) aka "the Purple Shamrock"; Mayor of
Boston (1914-19; 1922-1926; 1930-24; 1947-50), Governor of
Massachusetts (1935-37); U.S. Representative, Delegate from
Puerto Rico to the 1932
Democratic Convention, etc.
Curley was a master speaker, brilliant political strategist and corrupt as hell. Under his control, Boston's Irish political machine was finally able to wrest control of the city's politics from the Yankee aristocracy.
Using the proceeds of kickbacks from city contracts, Curley built an enormous mansion along the Jamaicaway in Jamaica Plain. It still stands.
Corruption aside, Curley's legacy is one of caring for the working class that voted him into power. He fed, clothed, and employed thousands in exchange for their votes. In traditional fashion, the party took care of its own.
Curley was imprisoned twice, once in 1904 for impersonating a friend at a civil service exam, and again during his last term as mayor for fraud. (Harry Truman pardoned him) Today, it's still unclear how he ended up as the delegate from Puerto Rico to the Democratic Convention.
Sources
http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/3/0,5716,28713+1,00.html
http://www.bostonirish.com/jmcurley.html