Healy was born on September 16, 1883, in
New York City, New York, the son of Nicholas J. and Ann M. Healy. He ran again in the same district in 1920, and again lost to Smith. While serving in the Assembly, he introduced legislation that provided for the construction of the
Triborough Bridge and the payment of a state bonus for veterans of
World War I. In 1921 he was elected to the
Board of Aldermen as a representative of the Nineteenth District, defeating the first African-American Alderman in the City’s history, Dr. Charles Roberts. He was reelected in 1923. In 1925 he was elected as the Democratic District Leader in the 19th Assembly District, a Tammany Hall position that organizes the political machine in the district and distributes patronage jobs. He also held a patronage position as the New York City Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Plant and Structures. In 1930, he was accused of selling a magistracy to George F. Ewald for $10,000. There were two resulting trials, both of which ended in hung juries, with credible allegations of jury tampering in both cases. The investigation of Healy’s corruption was the impetus to the eventual
Seabury investigations into Tammany Hall corruption that brought down Mayor
Jimmy Walker. Healy’s corruption scandals led to his resignation as Democratic leader of the 19th Assembly District in 1935, He was buried in
Gate of Heaven Cemetery. == References ==