William 'Boss' Tweed was an American politician most notable for being the 'boss' of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in 19th-century New York City politics. His name became synonymous with urban political corruption, as his 'Tweed Ring' controlled city and state appointments and finances. Through a system of graft and fraudulent schemes, Tweed and his associates were estimated to have stolen between $25 million and $200 million from the city's taxpayers. He was eventually exposed by political cartoons and journalistic investigations, leading to his conviction for forgery and larceny and his death in jail.