For decades, Robert Moses was effectively impossible to remove from his public positions because of his popularity and the way his offices had different terms and removal rules.

“He wasn't an elected official. But they couldn't re- there wasn't really a possibility. The answer to the question at the bottom is, no, they couldn't, because he was simply too popular.”

“You know, you couldn't fire Robert Moses. You know, that was, that's like firing, uh,”

“some, some idol, person who was the idol of New York. But in addition, he had, with his genius, he had created in all his different posts, uh, chairman of the State Power Authority, chairman of Triborough Bridge Authority, Parks Commissioner, Long Island Parks Commissioner, Jones Beach Commissioner.”

“He had created such an interlocking, you couldn't fire him from everything because the terms ended in different ways, and some you didn't have the power to fire him from, that he had really made it impossible.”

“I think for s- decades, the answer to your question is, you couldn't do it. But then as he got older, cracks appeared in the armor, and you could, if you, if you wanted to brave w- criticism in all the newspapers and public criticism and everything else, you probably could have done.”