Thomas Joseph Pendergast, "Boss Tom" *Goat faction leader, 1911-1939 *Indicted in 1939
by Jason Roe
1. Matthew S. Murray *Appointed Works Progress Administration (WPA) Administrator for Missouri, 1935 *Selected by Senators Harry Truman and Bennett Champ Clark *Directed WPA projects to Pendergast-affiliated companies *Controlled patronage in 80,000 WPA jobs *Previously the Director of Public Works for KC, 1926-1935
2. Harry S. Truman *Judge of Jackson County's Eastern District, 1923-1925 *Presiding Judge of Jackson County, 1927-1935 *U.S. Senator, 1935-1945 *U.S. Vice President, 1945 *U.S. President, 1945-1953 *Friend of James M. Pendergast from WWI
3. Eureka Petroleum *John T. Pendergast (brother of James M. Pendergast), President *Hugh J. Pendergast (brother of James M. Pendergast), Vice-President *James M. Pendergast, Secretary Treasurer
4. Bryce B. Smith *Mayor of Kansas City, 1930-1940 *Self-styled Rabbit who generally cooperated with the Pendergast machine as mayor *Resigned after Tom Pendergast went to prison
5. James "Jim" Aylward *Chairman, Jackson County Democratic Party *Former Rabbit, turned Goat in 1925
6. Joseph Shannon *"Rabbit" faction leader, chief rival to James F. and Tom Pendergast *Aligned with Pendergast after 1925 *U.S. Congressman with Pendergast backing, 1931-1943
7. Missouri Democrat *Newspaper published for the machine
7.1. James T. Bradshaw *Chief Editor, Missouri Democrat newspaper, 1925-1939
8. Atlas Beverage Co. *Tom Pendergast Jr., President
9. City Beverage Co. *Distributed all Anheuser-Busch products across Kansas City *Tom Pendergast Jr., President
10. Kansas City Limeolith
11. Gidinsky Construction
12. Midwest Asphalt Material
13. Mid-West Pre-Cote
14. Henry F. McElroy *City Manager, 1926-1939 *Officially appointed by City Council, but chosen by Tom Pendergast *Controlled day-to-day operations and most patronage in the city government *Awarded City Contracts to Pendergast-affiliated companies *Administered Ten-Year Plan
14.1. Dr. D.M. Nigro *Commissioner of Communicable Diseases
14.2. Dr. William J. Thompkins *Physician, administrator for the segregated General Hospital No. 2 *Publisher, Kansas City American newspaper *Appointed Recorder of Deeds for Washington, D.C. in 1934
14.3. Otto P. Higgins *Chief of Police of Kansas City
15. John F. Lazia *North End boss *Leader of organized crime *Controlled patronage in the KC police department *Operated gambling joints and bawdy houses *Murdered in 1934
15.1. Charles "Charlie the Wop" Carrollo *Succeeded John Lazia as North End boss after Lazia's murder in 1934
15.1.1. Glendale Beverage Co. *Charles V. Carrollo, vice-president *Mrs. Rhea Lazia (mother of John Lazia), Secretary Treasurer
15.1.2. Glendale Sales Co.
15.2. Charles "Mad Dog" Gargotta *Gangster
15.3. Charles Binaggio *Gangster
16. Felix Payne *Gambling interests *Paseo YMCA *Co-publisher of the Kansas City Amercan newspaper
17. James M. "Jim" Pendergast *Nephew of Tom Pendergast *Son of Michael J. Pendergast *Attempted to lead the Pendergast machine after Tom Pendergast was indicted in 1939
18. City Council *Pendergast controlled at least 5 out of 9 members from 1925-1939
19. Tom Pendergast Jr. *Son of Tom Pendergast
20. T.J. Pendergast Wholesale Liquor Co. *Tom Pendergast, president *Later known as the T.J. Pendergast Distributing Co. during Prohibition.
21. James Francis Pendergast, "Big Jim" *First Ward boss *Founded the Pendergast machine, 1880s-1890s *Older brother of Tom Pendergast *Died 1911
21.1. James A. Reed *U.S. Senator, 1911-1929 *Endorsed by the machine in 1911
22. Michael Joseph Pendergast *Brother of Tom Pendergast *Father of James M. Pendergast
23. Guy Brasfield Park *Governor of Missouri, 1933-1937 *Selected and endorsed by Tom Pendergast
24. Michael Ross *Boss of the North End, taken over by John Lazia in 1928
25. Charles Clark *Prominent long-time ward heeler, First Ward
26. Edward L. Schneider *Pendergast business associate, possible money laundering and tax evasion. *Found dead of an apparent suicide after cooperating with federal prosecutors.
27. Boyle-Pryor Construction
28. Centropolis Crusher
29. Commerce Coal
30. Dixie Machinery and Equipment
31. Frazier Distilling
32. Kansas City Concrete Pipe
33. Maryland Casualty *Insurance firm
34. Massman Construction
35. Mid-West Paving
36. Missouri Asphalt
37. Missouri Carriage
38. Missouri Contracting
39. Pen-Jas Oil
40. Public Service Quarries
41. Ready-Mixed Concrete Co. *Michael Ross, President *Tom Pendergast, Vice-President
42. Sanitary Service Co. *Contracted to collect garbage throughout Kansas City *Tom Pendergast owned 2/5 of stock shares
43. Shawhan Distilling
44. Union Indemnity *Insurance firm
45. United States Fidelity and Gauranty *Insurance firm
46. W.A. Ross Construction Co. *Tom Pendergast, President *Michael Ross, Vice-President
46.1. Philip H. McCrory *Business Associate *Cofounder, T.J. Pendergast Wholesale Liquor Co.
47. Welch-Sandler Cement
48. Oriental Café
49. Jefferson Hotel *Owned by Tom Pendergast. *Headquarters, Jackson Democratic Club until it moved to 1908 Main St. in 1926
50. Casimir John Joseph Michael "Cas" Welch *Boss of "Little Tammany" in Wards Six and Eight. *Leader, Jefferson Democratic Club *Sided with the "Rabbits" prior to 1924, then with the "Goats" until his death in 1936
51. Miles Bulger *Second Ward boss until 1924 *Sided with Rabbits or Goats when convenient
52. Conrad Mann *Chairman, KC Chamber of Commerce *Republican, Supported the Ten-Year Plan
53. Albert Isaac Beach *Republican Mayor of Kansas City, 1924-1930 *Supporter of the city manager form of government in 1925, which backfired as a reform effort *Powerless compared to Henry F. McElroy, city manager
54. Albert L. Reeves *U.S. District Judge appointed by Herbert Hoover *Supported Maurice Milligan as special prosecutor against the Pendergast machine
55. Maurice M. Milligan *U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, 1934-1945 *Prosecuted Tom Pendergast *Lost election for U.S. Senate to Harry Truman in 1940.
56. Jacob L. Milligan *Brother of Maurice Milligan *Democrat, ran for U.S. Senate seat in 1934 when Pendergast supported Truman
57. Merrill E. Otis *U.S. District Judge appointed by Calvin Coolidge *Supported Maurice Milligan as special prosecutor against the Pendergast machine
58. Chester Arthur Franklin *African American Publisher of The Call, a Republican-leaning newspaper for the black community
59. Lloyd Stark *Governor of Missouri, 1936-1940 *Endorsed by Pendergast in 1936, but immediately supported investigations against Pendergast *Lost a U.S. Senate campaign against Harry Truman in 1940
60. Waller W. Graves *Prosecuting Attorney of Jackson County.
61. Ewing Young Mitchell Jr. *Assistant Secretary of Commerce appointed by Franklin Roosevelt in 1933 *Fired by Roosevelt in 1935, in relation to Mitchell's disputes with Pendergast.
62. L. Perry Cookingham *Appointed City Manager in 1939 *Proceeded to reform city government and fire Pendergast appointees, including half of the police department
63. John B. Gage *Reform mayor of Kansas City elected in 1940 *Labeled himself a Rabbit Democrat
64. Rabbi Samuel S. Mayerberg *Reformer who opposed the machine from the early 1930s in partnership with the KC Ministerial Alliance *Nearly assassinated in 1932.
65. Kansas City Star *Republican-leaning newspaper
66. William Volker *Businessman, philanthropist, and reformer *Convinced City Council to adopt the Board of Public Welfare in 1908 to counter the machine's patronage efforts *Supported the 1925 city charter reform effort, which backfired
