Dapper Dan Flood: The Controversial Life of a Congressional Power Broker (Keystone Books)

This excellently researched and written book begins with examples of how Dan Flood reacted during a crisis, and what differences resulted from his actions. Flood, a member of Congress, learned that heavy hurricane rains caused floods up to 15 feet in his northeast Pennsylvania district, destroying 20,000 homes, 150 factories, and 2,728 businesses for over one billion dollars in damages. Rep. Flood used his years of friendship with Defense Secretary Melvin Loan to borrow a helicopter. He also convinced Laird to place the military reserves of general alerts. Flood set up an office on the Naval Reserve Center (which had been built from his legislation) and declared "this is going to be one flood against another." Flood helped secure 40 helicopters to rescue flood victims, arranged for a Coast Guard Fireboat to be flown from New Jersey to fight a fire, and saw to it that 1,500 National Guard troops guarded against looters. Flood's ability to state he was the Defense Appropriations Committee Subcommittee Chairman cut through a lto of military and bureaucratic red tape. Flood even went beyond legal authority in obtaining help. He even managed to have National Guard troops rerouted from a training program, over the objection of their Civil Defense leader, to help with the flooding crisis.Rep. Flood and Rep. Joseph McDade, from a neighboring district, helped create what was then the largest Federal disaster assistance program, the Agnes Recovery Act. This gave Small Business Administration Disaster loans with $5,000 forgiveness and 1% interest rates to hospitals, colleges, bridge rebuildings, and creation of a master plan against future floods that would prevent the river from overflowing again.Flood was an actor who continued to wear capes, top hates, white suits, and white ties while in Congress. He grew up in his coal mine centered district, went to law school, acted off Broadway, and went into politics. In getting elected, he lied about attending a youth military academy and about athletic accomplishments.Flood helped President Johnson get many of his Great Society proposals passed through Congress. He also supported greater involvement in the Viet Nam War. Yet, he was also known for asking strong questions of Defense Department leaders concerning their budget requests.Flood's district had no major road leading to it. The nearest hospital was over 100 miles away. Unemployment in his district when he was elected was 19%. Flood sought to attract diverse businesses to develop within his district. He realized the dangers of an area being reliant upon one business, who had been coal mining.Pennsylvania Rep. John Snyder, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, died in 1945. West Virginia Rep. Matthew Neely was a likely replacement for Snyder. The Pennsylvania delegation wanted the vacancy filled by another Pennsylvanian. Speaker Rayburn increased the membership of the Appropriations Committee from 43 to 45 and named both Neely and Flood to the committee.Flood argued that the high unemployment of Luzerne County represented surplus workers ready for military production. A mortar ammunition company was placed in Luzerne County as a result, followed by subsequent military contracts awarded to local manufacturers. Within two months in Congress, Flood had created over a thousand new jobs within his district.Flood had to battle a fellow Democratic representative, John Murphy, for Federal projects. It is believed President Truman offered that one of the two could be a Federal and the other would have a hospital located within his district. Murphy got the judgeship and Flood got the hospital.The New York Daily News reported Flood received 109 airline trips from Colonial Airlines, a violation of House rules, especially since he has argued against hiring more aviation enforcement officers. He was then accused of hiring his wife for a no show job, which he denied while insisting she did work.Flood attracted more controversy. Flood pushed for selling more anthracite coal, which was mined in his district, to Europe. He turned it into a national interest as something that helped increase the Gross National Product.Flood was committed to fighting poverty. He saw that Appalachia was included in the Area Redevelopment Act and he fought for Model Cities programs. He also saw that his district got funds, even if it meant expanding the definition of Appalachia so it reached into his district. Wilkes Barre also was the first city to receive Model Cities money to replace slums with new construction.One of Floods' most impassioned speeches was for legislation to provide occupational disease compensation to black lung patients who worked din coal mines. His speech contained coughing and wheezing as he acted as if he was a sufferer. Rep. Tip O'Neill noted "ordinarily, speeches don't change votes, but this one did. It was one of the two or three most impressive speeches I've ever heard."Flood's philosophy was "government is to do for the people that which they cannot do for themselves."Flood was pro-military yet warned that the Vietnam War was too costly. He saw many social programs could better sue the money that the war took. Flood publicly supported the war but he became more critical in hearings of how military funds were spent.Flood had initially been very hawkish on Vietnam. In 1955, when Catholices were persecuted in North Vietnam, Flood declared "if the Communists try to take over, I say used nuclear weapons." Yet Flood became concerned when military budgets were fuel of deceitful projects and overspending.Flood successfully fought to keep the Tobyhanna Army Base open. It was northeast Pennsylvania's largest employer at 3,000 employee, 40% of whom lived in Flood's district even though the base was outside his district. The Defense Department wanted to move all of Tobyhanna's operations 130 miles away to the Letterkenny Depot and reduce 500 jobs. Flood's objections helped convinced the Defense Department to not only save Tobyhanna but to hire 600 more people at Tobyhanna.Flood suffered from esophageal cancer in 1962. He had a few other health problem which pained him. Some of Flood's staff believed that he hired Stephen Elko onto his staff under threat that Elko would otherwise expose Flood's abuse of alcohol and pharmaceuticals. Elko cultivated relationships with lobbyists. Elko asked for monetary assistance in getting government grants. The contributors believed Elko would divide the funds between Elko, Flood, and sometimes another member of Congress. Flood was not supervising Elko well. Among the bribes Elko collected was $5,000 to get a technical school its accreditation. Elko signed Flood's name to a letter requesting this.Elko continued accepting funds for Congressional influence. He took $1,500 from a company seeking to build prefabricated homes in the flood recovery area. Fred Peters of this company later gave an envloved with $5,000 in it directly to Flood, who accepted it.Flood helped Medico Industries receive military contracts in 1967 and 1974. He did so despite 1958 U.S. Senate hearings that alleged that company's leader, William Medico, had organized crime ties.E. Wharton Shober, President of Hahnemann Hospital, sought public funds for hospital expansion. Elko had Shober give him $8,500. Elko then arranged for a fee sharing arrangement over new hospital profits. Flood helped Hahnemann receive $14.5 million, an unusually high amount for a hospital.A House Ethics Committee investigation made Elko resign in 1976. The committee had declined to investigate for two years until a rare request from the Senate opened an investigation on Elko. Elko went through Flood's files, destroying some and removing others. Elko was then indicted. Elko was hired for several jobs by friends of Flood's, causing Federal investigators to suspect Flood was try9ing to pay Elko not to implicate Flood.The investigation made Flood's health worsen. He took several medications and became addicted to some. His legal bills created financial hardships. Flood's trial resulted in a mistrial when the jury could not reach an agreement. 11 of the 12 jurors were willing to convict Flood on at least some of the counts.Flood was hospitalized with gall bladder and intestinal problems, among others, before his second trial. Doctors found him depressed and senile. The trial was postponed four times. Congress announced they were opening an investigation into Flood. Flood's attorney sought a plea bargain. Flood had to resign from Congress as part of the plea agreement.Flood died in 1994 at age 90.

I always wanted to know more about Dan Flood. When my mother married an Englishman and went to England shortly after the war with her infant daughter, she wrote to Mr. Flood to help her get back. I do not know what the problem was, but he personally assisted her. My parents and older sister settled in Ashley and I was born and raised here.

A amazingly detailed book about Congressman Flood. It's been very helpful in my research for my book, "Congressman of the 11th District: A Brief Overview of the Congressmen of Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District". Worth the read.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who either was raised, or presently lives, in the area that comprised Congressman Flood's district. It's an easy read.

Gave as gift. Person was very pleased.Great book especially for those who livein N.E. Pa. Well written .