The Fall of Troy

He was a tough, burly, street-smart politician, with a promising future and a flair for the spectacular. When New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay ordered the flag atop city hall lowered as a gesture of protest against the Viet Nam War. Matthew J. Troy Jr. appeared on the roof, coat flapping in the breeze, and put the flag back up. Said he: "That's where it belongs."

Troy was also the master of the smoke-filled back room. Not only was he a New York City councilman, but he was Democratic leader of the huge borough of Queens (pop. 1.9 million). What toppled Troy was a matter of finances--the city's and his own.

As head of the council finance committee, Troy challenged Mayor Abe Beame's proposed budget. The mayor counterattacked by ousting him from his party post in Queens. On the same day, Sept. 19, 1974, federal investigators paid Troy a call, bringing along a request for his tax records. He was subsequently charged with, and pleaded guilty to, filing false income tax returns and withdrawing money from estates he managed as an attorney.

Troy spent two months in jail while retaining his council seat. But the voters of Queens, who once backed him by margins as high as 3-1, ended his grip on politics at the next election. Looking back, Troy feels the ordeal did have one benefit. "The family [including nine children] kept together with all the trouble. Of course, I am sorry for the embarrassment it caused them. My son has the same name--he'll have to live it down--and he wants to be a lawyer. I have a feeling he wants to vindicate everything."

As executive director of the Long Island Gasoline Retailers Association, Troy finds himself in the middle of another minefield. He professes to like his present work. "I don't have to run for re-election," he says. "I enjoy it more than politics. In politics, you're always at the mercy of the people."

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