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Narrator: The same primary that catapulted Kennedy toward the White House launched William Wallace Barron into the Statehouse.

A charismatic politician who preferred the name Wally, Barron led the most corrupt administration the state had ever seen.

Richard Grimes: Wally Barron was a fairly effective governor when he was in office but corruption took over. He used to have a jar on his desk and people would go in to see him and he wouldn’t tell you to put money in it but somebody else would say, you might drop a twenty in there or a ten or something else.

Narrator: Thirteen members of Barron’s administration were convicted of bribery, conspiracy or tax evasion. Barron was found guilty of jury tampering and became the first governor sent to prison.

I might have married Wally, a former girlfriend once said, but I would never vote for him.