Richard Croker (November 24, 1843 - 1922) was an American politician, a leader of New York City's Tammany Hall.

Born at Blackrock , Ireland, he was taken to the United States by his parents when two years old, and was educated in the public schools of New York City, where he eventually became a member of Tammany Hall and active in its politics. He was an alderman from 1868 to 1870, a coroner from 1873 to 1876, a fire commissioner in 1883 and 1887, and city chamberlain from 1889 to 1890. After the fall of John Kelly he became the leader of Tammany Hall, and for some time almost completely controlled that organization. As head of Tammany, Croker received bribe money from the owners of brothels, saloons and illegal gambling dens. He survived Charles Parkhurst 's attacks on Tammany Hall corruption and became a wealthy man.

His greatest political success was his bringing about the 1897 election of Robert A. van Wyck as first mayor of the five-borough "greater" New York, and during van Wyck's administration Croker is popularly supposed to have dominated completely the government of the city. After Croker's failure to carry the city in the presidential election of 1900 and the defeat of his mayoralty candidate, Edward M. Shepard , in 1901, he resigned from his position of leadership in Tammany and was succeeded by Seith Low . He retired to a country life in England and Ireland. In 1907 he won the Epsom Derby with his race-horse Orby.

References

• Spartacus.schoolnet article on Croker