// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Richard B. Connolly say to the cookie? You connolly resist me?
Richard B. Connolly | |
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| New York City Comptroller | |
| In office 1867 – November 18, 1871 | |
| Member of the New York Senate from the 7th district | |
| In office 1860–1863 | |
| Preceded by | John Doherty |
| Succeeded by | Thomas C. Fields |
| Clerk of New York County | |
| In office 1853–1858 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Richard Barrett Connolly 1810 |
| Died | May 30, 1880 (aged 69–70) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Maria S. Townsend (m. 1837; died 1879) |
| Children | 4 |
| Occupation | Politician, clerk |
Richard Barrett Connolly (1810 – May 30, 1880), also known as "Slippery Dick", was an Irish-American politician from New York. He was a member of the New York State Senate and later the New York City Comptroller, and was a key figure in the infamous Tweed Ring. He died as a fugitive from justice in France.
Early life
[edit]Connolly was born in 1810 in Dunmanway, County Cork, Ireland.[1] He came to New York City in 1826 and worked first for auctioneers John Haggerty & Sons, and later for merchant Simeon Draper, Haggerty's son-in-law.[1]
In 1837, Connolly married Maria S. Townsend (1816–1879), and the two had four children.[1]
In 1845, Collector of the Port Cornelius Van Wyck Lawrence appointed Connolly as a clerk in the customs house. In 1849, he became a discount clerk at the Bank of North America.[1]
Political career
[edit]As a Tammany Hall Democrat, Connolly served as Clerk of New York County from 1853 to 1858.[1][2]
He was a member of the New York State Senate (7th District) from 1860 to 1863, sitting in the 83rd, 84th, 85th, and 86th New York State Legislatures.[3][4] Afterward, he became a discount clerk at the Central National Bank.[1]
Tweed Ring and City Comptroller
[edit]Connolly was elected New York City Comptroller in 1867 and became a member of the infamous "Tweed Ring."[1][2] Some newspaper writers referred to him at that time as "Slippery Dick."[1]
He was re-appointed by Mayor A. Oakey Hall as City Comptroller under the "Tweed Charter" and remained in office until his resignation on November 18, 1871.[1][2] A week later, Connolly was arrested and later indicted on 15 counts of misdemeanors.[1]
On New Year's Day, 1872, he was released on bail by Judge George G. Barnard and went abroad, never to return to the United States.[1]
Death
[edit]Connolly died from Bright's disease on May 30, 1880, in Marseille, France, while a fugitive from justice.[1][2] He was 70 years old.
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "At Three Score and Ten; Richard B. Connolly's Death at Marseilles" (PDF). The New York Times. June 1, 1880. p. 1. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Richard Barrett Connolly, 1810-1880". Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
- ↑ Hough, Franklin Benjamin, ed. (1867). The New York Civil List. pp. 442, 535.
- ↑ Murphy, William D. (1861). Biographical Sketches of the State Officers and Members of the Legislature of the State of New York. pp. 45–46.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1810 births
- 1880 deaths
- 19th-century Irish people
- Democratic Party New York (state) state senators
- Leaders of Tammany Hall
- Politicians from County Cork
- New York City comptrollers
- Deaths from kidney disease
- 19th-century American businesspeople
- People from Dunmanway
- Irish emigrants to the United States
- 19th-century members of the New York State Legislature