Eugene Edward Schmitz (22 August 1864-20 November 1928) was the Union Labor Party Mayor of San Francisco from 8 January 1902 to 8 July 1907, succeeding James D. Phelan and preceding Charles Boxton.
Biograpyh[]
Eugene Schmitz was born in San Francisco, California in 1864, the son of an Irish mother and a German father. He played as a violinist and became a musical conductor before winning the 1901 mayoral election as the Union Labor Party candidate. He gave protection to criminals, including brothels, for protection money, and he remained popular with the working-class. He was mayor at the time of the 1906 earthquake, and he called in the US Army to shoot any looters on sight. He was found guilty of extortion and bribery in 1907 and was removed from office, and he failed in his 1915 and 1919 bids for Mayor. Schmitz lastly served on the Board of Supervisors from 1921 to 1925, and he died in 1928.