Robert Moses ran his public agencies with imperial personal splendor.

Evidence

Like an emperor, his every wish was foreseen. On Sundays, when he rested, one of the three boat captains who took turns skippering his favorite yacht waited by a telephone, sometimes for the entire day, just in case he might decide that he wanted to go fishing. Like an emperor, he preferred his own table; people who wanted to dine with Moses had to come to him. And to insure that he could entertain them on an imperial scale, luxurious dining rooms were set up adjacent to the four offices—one at Randall’s Island, one at Belmont Mansion and two in downtown office buildings—among which he divided his time. Although only one of them could be used at a time, each of them was equipped with a full-time staff of chef and waiters. — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker, 74

Categorization

• XREF: This anti-democratic grandeur of a public official connects to base-life observations in Base Nation about Little America military bases and their insulation from their host societies. — connects to: Moses redirected public-agency wealth and staff toward personal hospitality and self-glorification. — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the…, 75; Public-authority wealth let Moses operate as a uniquely powerful political boss. — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the…, 91; Even his patron believed control of Moses hinged on personal force — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the…, 2986

Broader Connections

• Public-authority wealth let Moses operate as a uniquely powerful political boss. #corroborates (0.90) — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker, 91
• Even his patron believed control of Moses hinged on personal force #corroborates (0.82) — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker, 2986