Cantor, Jacob Aaron

CANTOR, JACOB AARON (1854–1921), U.S. politician. Cantor was born on the Lower East Side of New York City. He attended public school until age 14, then became a law clerk and a reporter for The World. Turning to politics, he was elected in 1884 as a Democrat to the first of three successive terms in the State Assembly. In 1887 Cantor was sent to the State Senate and became a powerful leader of the Democratic minority for many years. Opposed to Tammany boss Richard Croker, Cantor joined the reform ticket of Seth Law in 1901 and won the Manhattan Borough presidency. Back in the party fold by 1913, Cantor became a New York congressman. He was later appointed president of the Department of Taxes Assessments by Mayor John Hylan, and held this position until his death.