Born in what is now the Czech Republic on May 9, 1873, Anton Cermak was a Chicago politician who saw possibilities in bringing together German, Czech, Polish, Italian, Ukrainian, Jewish, and African American communities around Chicago into the Democratic party, breaking the dominance of the Irish Americans in city politics. By 1931 he had enough power and influence to gain the office of Chicago mayor. According to a Chicago Tribune article that I found, President Roosevelt got the idea for his "fireside chats" from Cermak's weekly radio talks. One indication of Cermak's influence is the fact that every Chicago mayor since his term has been Democratic. He did not serve long, however. In 1933, while standing with Roosevelt at a gathering in Miami, a gunman fatally wounded Cermak. Although there have been theories otherwise, the assassin likely meant to kill Roosevelt but at the crucial moment a bystander hit the gunman's arm with her purse. Cermak's son-in-law was Otto Kerner, who--before he went to prison for mail fraud--was Illinois governor in 1961-1968. Cermak Rd. (22nd St.) is a west-east street in Chicago.
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