Joab Hamilton Banton (August 27, 1869 in

Huntsville Huntsville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the 100th-most populous city in the U.S. The Huntsville metropolitan area had an estimated 525,465 ...

Walker County, Texas Walker County is a county located in the east-central section of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 76,400. Its county seat is Huntsville. Initially, Walker County was named for Robert J. Walker, a legislato ...

– July 20, 1949) was

New York County District Attorney The New York County District Attorney, also known as the Manhattan District Attorney, is the elected district attorney for New York County, New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws (federal l ...

from 1922 to 1929. (subscription required)

Early life and education

He was the son of Joab H. Banton, a judge in

Waco, Texas Waco ( ) is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and Interstate 35, I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin, Texas, Austin. The city had a U.S. census estimated 2024 popul ...

, and Imogene (Hamilton) Banton. He graduated A.B. from

Kentucky University The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...

in 1890 and was admitted to the bar in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

in 1891. On June 17, 1896, he married Maud Harris in

Belton, Texas Belton is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. Belton is the county seat of Bell County, Texas, Bell County and is the fifth largest city in the Killeen – Temple – Fort Hood metropolitan area, Killeen-Temple metropolitan area. In 2020, the popu ...

. Afterwards, he moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and continued his law practice there.

Career

In January 1918, he was appointed by D.A.

Edward Swann Edward Swann (March 10, 1862 – September 19, 1945) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician from New York. From November 4, 1902, to March 3, 1903, he served part of one term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Life He was born on M ...

as an Assistant D.A. He remained in office until August 1919, when he resigned to resume his private practice as a partner in Banton, Ferguson & Moore. In July 1920, he defended D.A. Swann in a one-million-dollar suit brought by

Gaston Means Gaston Bullock Means (July 11, 1879 – December 12, 1938) was an American private detective, salesman, bootlegger, forger, swindler, murder suspect, blackmailer, and con artist. While not involved in the Teapot Dome scandal, Means was assoc ...

. Swann, Chief Assistant D.A., appointed Banton in January 1921, and during most of the year, Banton acted as District Attorney while Swann remained out of state. In November 1921, Banton was elected as

on the Tammany Hall ticket, defeating the "Coalition" candidate John Kirkland Clark. On taking office in January 1922, Banton appointed

Ferdinand Pecora Ferdinand Pecora (January 6, 1882 – December 7, 1971) was an American lawyer and New York State Supreme Court judge who became famous in the 1930s as Chief Counsel to the United States Senate Committee on Banking and Currency during its invest ...

as his Chief Assistant D.A. As D.A., Banton indicted over 100 bucket shops during the

Roaring 20s The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the U ...

. In 1924, he was convicted of defrauding William H. Anderson of the

New York Anti-Saloon League The New York Anti-Saloon League was an American organization that worked toward the prohibition of alcohol and the closing of saloons. Located at 156 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, it was an offshoot of the Ohio-based Anti-Saloon League. Adna W. Leonar ...

on fraud charges. In 1925, he was re-elected with a large plurality over Ex-Governor

Charles S. Whitman Charles Seymour Whitman (September 29, 1868March 29, 1947) was an American lawyer who served as the 41st governor of New York from January 1, 1915, to December 31, 1918. An attorney and politician, he also served as a delegate from New York to th ...

, who had been New York County D.A. from 1910 to 1914. Banton was instrumental in establishing peace between the

On Leong Chinese Merchants Association The On Leong Chinese Merchants Association (), or simply Chinese Merchants Association, formerly known as the On Leong Tong (), is a tong society operating out of its territory at the intersection of Canal Street and Mott Street in Chinatown ...

and the

Hip Sing Association The Hip Sing Association or HSA (), formerly known as the Hip Sing Tong (), is a Chinese-American criminal organization/gang formed as a labor organization in New York City's Chinatown during the early 20th century (perhaps c. 1904). The Canton ...

in the Tong War to control Chinatown. His office investigated the murder of

Arnold Rothstein Arnold Rothstein (January 17, 1882 – November 6, 1928), nicknamed "The Brain", was an American racketeer, crime boss, businessman, and gambler who became a kingpin of the Jewish Mob in New York City. Rothstein was widely reputed to have orga ...

and prosecuted George "Hump" McManus, who was acquitted.

Sources

''BANTON RESIGNS POST''
in NYT on August 28, 1919
''SWANN ANSWERS MEANS''
in NYT on July 3, 1920
''CLARK, IN OPEN TILT, BOMBARDS BANTON''
in NYT on October 31, 1921
''BANTON ASKS DEITY TO GUIDE HIS TERM''
in NYT on January 2, 1922

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Banton, Joab Hamilton 1869 births 1949 deaths People from Huntsville, Texas Transylvania University alumni New York County district attorneys New York (state) Democrats

Early life and education

Career

See also

Sources

References