the popular name for the powerful but often dishonest Tammany Society, the Democratic Party organization that ruled New York City from the 1830s to the 1930s. They bought votes and made illegal agreements. The organization was named after the building in which they met. The name Tammany Hall is now used to refer to any dishonest political or other group:
Gloria turned the club’s financial committee into Tammany Hall
See also Tweed .