Saint James Resident Publishes Book on an Ancestor

Author and Saint James resident, Kathy Caton has published a biography about an ancestor called The Redemption of Uncle Richard “Boss” Croker, The Lion of Manhattan: From Irish Immigrant to Tammany Boss.

Caton had spent decades researching her family genealogy and she discovered that she was related to the Tammany Boss, Richard Croker. This former New York politician was defined as a “crime-boss” and he helped change the political structure of New York during the industrial revolution and prior to the depression.

“So I was gathering this information from my family and there was so much information,” Caton said. “This would be a really good biography about this Tammany ancestor of mine.”

This biography begins in Ireland before Croker immigrated to the United States. From there she tells the story of how he went through the tragedies and triumphs in his life and political career.

Caton has been recognized as an innovative creator-educator and now a composer and writer. She holds active teaching certifications from a medley of states in both theatre and music education. Caton also worked alongside notables such as Harry Chapin, Peter Perret, Sir David Willcocks, Paul Leddington Wright and Ted Vigil, according to Buffalo Scoop.

To learn more about The Redemption of Uncle Richard “Boss” Croker, The Lion of Manhattan: From Irish Immigrant to Tammany Boss, visit the NFB Publishing Amelia Press.