John J. Scannell
Encyclopedia
John Jay Scannell was a Tammany Hall
politician who was the leader of the Eleventh Assembly District
. He was appointed the first New York City Fire Commissioner of the new consolidated New York City
.
, he met Richard Croker
, the future head of Tammany Hall
and they developed a friendship. Croker was at the time also imprisoned and charged with murder, for which he was found innocent.
In 1893 he was appointed a 6 year term as the New York City Fire Commissioner by Mayor Thomas F. Gilroy
replacing S. Howland Robbins, the salary was $5,000 per year. He was appointed the 1st Fire Commissioner of the Consolidated City of New York by Tammany Hall
Mayor Robert A. Van Wyck on January 1, 1898. He served in that position until the end of the Van Wyck Administration on December 31, 1901. In 1901 he was indicted for being involved in a kickback scheme for the purchasing of supplies by the New York City Fire Department
.
By 1902 he bought a farm on Newburgh, New York. He later purchased Chateau Ophelia in Saratoga, New York
for $53,000. He died on March 5, 1918 of pneumonia at St. Mary's Hospital in Queens, New York.
Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...
politician who was the leader of the Eleventh Assembly District
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
. He was appointed the first New York City Fire Commissioner of the new consolidated New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Biography
He had two brothers: Florence Scannell who was killed in 1872 in a bar-room fight; and Edward A. Scannell, who on Christmas Eve of 1875 killed Henry Wilson in retaliation. John J. Scannell then shot an killed Thomas Donahue in revenge for the killing of his brother. He was arrested and was acquitted on the grounds of emotional insanity. While he was imprisoned in The TombsThe Tombs
"The Tombs" is the colloquial name for the Manhattan Detention Complex, a jail in Lower Manhattan at 125 White Street, as well as the popular name of a series of preceding downtown jails, the first of which was built in 1838 in the Egyptian Revival style of architecture.The nickname has been used...
, he met Richard Croker
Richard Croker
Richard Croker, Sr. was an American politician, a leader of New York City's Tammany Hall.-Biography:...
, the future head of Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...
and they developed a friendship. Croker was at the time also imprisoned and charged with murder, for which he was found innocent.
In 1893 he was appointed a 6 year term as the New York City Fire Commissioner by Mayor Thomas F. Gilroy
Thomas F. Gilroy
Thomas Francis Gilroy , born in Ireland, was mayor of New York 1893-94 and Commissioner of Public works 1889-93. He was also a member of Tammany Hall. He had a daughter, Frances E. Gilroy, who married Edward A. Maher, Jr...
replacing S. Howland Robbins, the salary was $5,000 per year. He was appointed the 1st Fire Commissioner of the Consolidated City of New York by Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...
Mayor Robert A. Van Wyck on January 1, 1898. He served in that position until the end of the Van Wyck Administration on December 31, 1901. In 1901 he was indicted for being involved in a kickback scheme for the purchasing of supplies by the New York City Fire Department
New York City Fire Department
The New York City Fire Department or the Fire Department of the City of New York has the responsibility for protecting the citizens and property of New York City's five boroughs from fires and fire hazards, providing emergency medical services, technical rescue as well as providing first response...
.
By 1902 he bought a farm on Newburgh, New York. He later purchased Chateau Ophelia in Saratoga, New York
Saratoga, New York
Saratoga is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,141 at the 2000 census. It is also the commonly used, but not official, name for the neighboring and much more populous city, Saratoga Springs. The major village in the town of Saratoga is Schuylerville which is...
for $53,000. He died on March 5, 1918 of pneumonia at St. Mary's Hospital in Queens, New York.