Beame, Abraham David

Beame, Abraham David, 1906–2001, American politician, mayor of New York City (1974–77), b. London. Beame, who grew up on New York's Lower East Side, was city budget director (1952–61). A Democrat, he was elected to two terms as city comptroller (1961, 1969). After defeating John Lindsay in the 1973 mayoral election, Beame faced the worst fiscal crisis in the city's history and spent the bulk of his term attempting to ward off bankruptcy. He slashed the city workforce, froze wages, and restructured the budget, moves that proved insufficient until reinforced by actions from newly created state-sponsored entities and the granting of federal funds.