The Boys in the Back Room

As poor boys hawking papers on the streets of south Baltimore, Tommy D'Alesandro and Jack Pollack were friendly rivals. When they went into politics they stayed rivals. Tommy became Baltimore's mayor and Democratic national committeeman from Maryland. Pollack, a prosperous insurance broker, became Democratic boss of Baltimore's fourth state legislative district, and proved in election after election that he could swing 25,000 votes for any candidate he named to his faithful followers.

Shipped as a delegate to Chicago, Pollack was sore at the Democratic organization and at Tommy D'Alesandro--so sore that he announced he hadn't decided whether to support Stevenson or Eisenhower. Thrown to Ike, Pollack's 25,000 votes might have meant sure defeat for Stevenson in hard-fought Maryland.

Faced with this situation, Tommy D'Alesandro and others took steps to get Jack Pollack into line. Two of Pollack's lieutenants recently got good political jobs, and Pollack's son-in-law was made assistant city solicitor.

It wasn't quite enough. One night Tommy D'Alesandro strolled into the pine-paneled meeting room of Jack Pollack's Trenton Democratic Club in northwest Baltimore. It was just an ordinary night, and only Pollack and about 40 of his lieutenants and ward captains were present. Pollack apologized for the turnout, said that if only Tommy had just let him know, he would have had 200 there. But Tommy just wanted to talk to the boys on hand--especially Jack Pollack.

Said Mayor D'Alesandro: "What more do you want, Jack? You got your picture in the Times magazine*--who would ever think that Jack Pollack would get written up in a national magazine? You're a great man now, Jack.

"I'm Jack's friend," Tommy went on, addressing himself to the meeting, "and Jack is my friend." Chomping on a cigar, Boss Pollack half restrained a smile.

"We need you. Jack," said the mayor. "Stay with us. If you choose to support the whole Democratic ticket, you'll make all your friends happy. If you choose to do otherwise, I hope you count ten." Turning to the boys again, the mayor said, smiling: "I suppose that with all this publicity, Jack's price is going up every day. Lately when I walk around City Hall I wonder if this thing hasn't gone too far. I thought we were supposed to have a team. But everywhere I go I see Pollack men. Some days I can't find any of my own appointees around City Hall."

Then Tommy broke off. "Come on, Jack," he concluded, "let's go in the back room here and talk this thing over." As the two disappeared, the boys stood up, chatted a while, drifted on home.

When Jack Pollack announced last week that he was for Adlai Stevenson, at last, few were surprised--least of all the boys who had been at the Trenton Club.

* The mayor meant TIME (Oct. 6).

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.