William Magear Tweed, popularly known as Boss Tweed, was a prominent politician in New York City and the leader of Tammany Hall from the 1850s until his downfall in the early 1870s. His involvement in various corruption scandals made headlines, culminating in his conviction for fraud and embezzlement. In 1875, while serving a lengthy prison sentence at the Ludlow Street Jail in Manhattan, Tweed executed a bold escape that shocked the public and illustrated both the decline of the justice system's integrity and the lengths to which he would go to evade accountability.

Tweed took advantage of the lax security measures reportedly in place at the jail. His escape was meticulously planned and executed, enabling him to flee the United States and find refuge in Spain. While living abroad, Tweed not only evaded capture but reportedly continued to hold meetings and communicate with political allies back home. This period of his life was marked by both the irony of his initial evasion of justice and the public’s outrage at the political corruption he represented.

However, Tweed's time in Spain was cut short when his identity was recognized by a group of American businessmen in the region. They alerted authorities, leading to his eventual arrest and extradition back to the United States in 1876. His recapture reignited the public's fascination with his story and highlighted the pervasive corruption of the era, creating enduring narratives regarding political malfeasance and the necessity of reform in the political system.