Gordon Triangle

This small patch of green at the intersection of Vernon Boulevard, 44th Drive, and 10th Street originally bore the name Cassidy Angle. It was named for Joseph Cassidy, a local florist who became the second Borough President of Queens at the turn of the twentieth century. His tenure ended in disgrace after he was caught in a series of corrupt schemes, which ultimately led to his conviction for selling a nomination for the United States Supreme Court. He served a year in Sing Sing prison for the crime, and the city later chose to rename the site to distance the public space from his reputation.