The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-31
JIMMY MARCH, LONG
EAST SIDE BOSS, DIES
As Antonio Maggie He Came
From Italy an Immigrant
When a Boy.
CONTROLLED MANY VOTES
Deserted Tammany for Repub-
licans and Was Made Port
Warden by Roosevelt.

the Third Assembly district. who died
yesterday, found In America the oppor-
tunlty whereby he was transformed
from Antonio Maggie. peasant imm-
grant. into an American possessing much
property and political power No one
ever saw Jimmy March carrying red
flag or heard him sneer at the land into
which he passed as a poor boy across the
Welcome" mat at Castle Garden. Thou
sands Of other italian immigrants were
stimulated by his career.
He landed in New York at the age of
IL with a harp and hopeful disposl-
ton. The city fustered him. so he
struck into the country. For several
years he worked for board and clothes In
Lewis county. New York. His first wages
he got for peddling milk in Lowville.
He studied nights. passed the Regents
examination at the Lowville Academy,
and in 1880 at the age Of 20 returned
to New York. He found employment
with the Erie Railroad, and In short
time was laying the foundation for a
fortune as the Fries general contracting
agent.
SudfNu tIIlplOytu anu supervised tHOu-
sands OF laborers working on the rail-
road. In 1882. when he was superinten-
dent Of immigrant trains. he made such
hit by stopping a disastrous long
shoremen's strike that 37.675 was raised
for him by subscription.
He Bolted Tammany Hall.
BY this time Antonio Maggie had be-
come James E. March. He got into
East Side politics as a member of Tam
many Hail. but after a break with the
then Democratic rulers. caused by the
refusal of the Irish to let Italians hold
office, he went over to the Republicans
and took his following along. He be-
came Republican leader OF the old Sixth
Assembly district. now the Third, which
on the Democratic side was ruled by the
Sullivans. Gov. Roosevelt made him
Port Warden in 1899. In which period
March was credited with controlling the
Italian born vote Of the entire East Side
He was charged with extortion in con-
nection with the employment bureau he
conducted, but was discharged. He said
his political enemies fabricated the ac-
cusation. although License Commissioner
Heating called him the kngpin Of Ital-
ian padrones."
The trouble did not affect his political
popularity, for OF the thirty-nine Presl-
DENTAL Electors for New York State
chosen in the Roosevelt-Parker cam
paisn Of 1904 Jimmy March got the
highest vote. s5s.633.
Had Run In with Parsons.
March had other stormy days which
he weathered. The county president Of
his own Republican party. Herbert Par
sons taxed him in 1908 with being too
friendly with the Tammany Sullivans
and refused to allow the men selected
by March to act as inspectors on regis.
tration day. But presently Parsons
vanished from the political stage and
March continued to rule his district
as Of old.
At times he felt 1t necessary to over
rule his party leaders, as when In the
Chicago convention of 1919 he fopped
from Taft to Roosevelt. but thew never
found II in their hearts to discipline
him very severely. The fact was that
March had personal courage. One day
years ago he decided to transfer a de-
post from Jersey City savings bank
10 bank in New York. The Jersey
bank president said the money couldn't
be Withdrawn without several days no.
tice.
But it's my money and I have got
to have it now" said March.
Come around next week." said the
bank president
March had been carrying four re-
Volvers during the longshoremen's
strike. He pulled out two of them and
pointing them at the banker re-.
marked: Give me that money now or
you'll never have another chance" He
got 1t. The next day the bank failed.
and March learned that ~ he hadn't
been so persuasive his savings would
nave been lost. Several of the officers
were sent to prison for mana cement
OF the institution.
His Retirement short Lived.
As a political advertiser March never
was conservative. In the fusion cam
paign OF 1901 he got flock of auto
mobiles and rounding up the fifty pref
tiest girls In his district took them TO a
campaign meeting and then treated them
10 dinner. II was played up as
Jimmy March's beauty dinner"
In his later life he was a banker as
we'll as contractor. He bought a
country place in Lowville. the scene OF
his milk peddling. and announced a few
years ago that he had retired to his
farm for good. But In three or four
weeks he was back at the old stand on
the East Side. He was a prospective
witness at the first Becker trial, because
OF assertions that he knew the police
lieutenant had made a fortune on Wall
Street tips. But after he testified before
the Grand Jury this suppositlon was
dissipated.
Through the James f. March Associa-
ton and In other ways March spent a
good deal Of money on charity. He was
a member OF the Republican and Cath
Ollie clubs and the Elks He had much
to do with making Columbus Day
legal holiday.
March was IS years old. He became
III of lobar pneumonia two months ago
and died Of diabetes at 1 A. NJ. yester-
day at his home. 235 Lafayette street.
His two sons. Joseph, a yeoman In the
navy, and William. and his three daugh-
tiers. Mrs May Florence Phillips and the
Misses Eugene and Olive March. were
with him. A third son, James e. March,
Jr.. is In France with the 306th Infantry,
The various Little Italys will give
Jimmy March a fitting funeral on a day
not yet selected. He will be buried in