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44-580: Swig was born in Pren (now called Prienai ), Russian Empire in 1862. In 1875, when Swig was 13, he immigrated to the United States. He quickly saw success in the U.S. banking industry, promptly earning enough to bring his parents to the United States. As his banking career grew, Swig also became involved in politics in his adopted home state of Massachusetts. Swig died on July 30, 1939, at the age of 76, of generalized arteriosclerosis and essential hypertension , at

88-573: A court clerk misspelling his name as "Charles Pouzi," but his good luck ended shortly afterwards; Tremont Trust bought the Court Street building, and Swig wanted the swindler out of his new building. Ponzi and Swig's interactions did not end there. Once Ponzi's infamous scheme got started, he began keeping a large portion of his assets in Tremont Trust. As neither man liked the other, the money did not stay there long. On July 21, 1920, Swig wrote Ponzi

132-560: A sheriff of the City of London . The title "Alderman" is used for both men and women and may be prefixed to a person's name (e.g., Alderman John Smith, Alderman Smith, or for women; Alderman Mrs (or Miss) Smith). In Scotland , the office of " baillie " bore some similarities to that of alderman in England and Wales. Depending on the jurisdiction, an alderman could have been part of the legislative or judicial local government. A "board of aldermen"

176-463: A "mayor" and "councillors". (Australian capital cities usually have a Lord Mayor ). An example of the use of the term alderman is evident in the City of Adelaide . Aldermen were elected from the electors in all the wards . Historically, in Canada , the term "alderman" was used for those persons elected to a municipal council to represent the wards. As women were increasingly elected to municipal office,

220-642: A Lithuanian nobleman of distant Scottish descent , built the Prienai castle. However, in 1701, during the Great Northern War , the castle together with its amenities was completely destroyed. In the early 18th century, the city somewhat recovered from the devastation of the Great Northern War and in the place of the former castle, the Butler family had built a spacious two-storeyed Baroque styled manor house. On

264-517: A letter demanding he close his accounts: If what we have heard about your plan of business is true, then certainly we do not care to accept your deposits, no matter how large they may be. And even if reports are untrue, we do not care to accept your future deposits because you have taken unfair advantage in using our name as you have. We therefore advise you that henceforth your deposits will not be accepted, and you will favor us by closing your account. Ponzi did as Swig asked, leaving only $ 185,000, which

308-635: Is a city in Lithuania situated on the Nemunas River , 29 km (18 mi) south of Kaunas . In 2023 the city had 8,894 inhabitants. The name of the city is a derivative from a surname Prienas . Pociūnai Airport is associated with the city. The history of Prienai and its surroundings is closely linked to that of the Baltic region . Traces of sporadic human settlement go back to the Neolithic period. However,

352-642: Is essentially an upper house of a bicameral legislature (as it was in New York City until the 20th century). In Illinois , the Illinois Municipal Code allows for the formation and existence of an aldermanic-city form of municipal government. As an example, in Chicago , the Chicago City Council is composed of fifty aldermen (not councilors). As of 2021, Chicago aldermen are legally referred to by

396-638: Is in 1502 when the Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander gave the land of Prienai to the noble Mykolas Glinskis , who, following his exile from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , became the tutor of his nephew Ivan the Terrible . In 1609, the city was granted the Magdeburg rights , though they were greatly expanded in 1791 by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Stanislaw II Augustus . The city's arms showing St. George killing

440-584: Is little used in England and Wales, but is used more often in Northern Ireland, where councils may also designate up to a quarter of their elected councillors as aldermen. In the City of London , but not elsewhere in London , aldermen are still elected for each of the wards of the City by the regular electorate. To be a candidate to be Lord Mayor of the City of London , it is necessary to be an alderman and to have been

484-404: Is the governing executive or legislative body of many cities and towns in the United States. Boards of aldermen are used in many rural areas of the United States as opposed to a larger city council or city commission ; its members are typically called "alderman". The term is sometimes used instead of city council , but it can also refer to an executive board independent of the council, or to what

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528-487: The Greater London Council and the London borough councils , where they remained a possibility until 1978. Councils in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland still have the power to create honorary aldermen and alderwomen, as a reward for their services as a councillor, but must do so at a special meeting, and in each case the granting of the title needs to be approved by two-thirds of those attending. This power

572-525: The Local Government Act 2001 , with effect from the 2004 local elections . Early usage of the term mirrored that of England and Wales . Local elections since the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919 have used the single transferable vote in multiple-member electoral areas. In each electoral area of a borough or county borough , the first several candidates elected were styled "alderman" and

616-606: The Nazis killed the Jews . On August 27, 1941, 1,078 Jews from Prienai and surrounding areas were murdered in Prienai. The massacre was perpetrated by Rollkommando Hamann and local collaborators. In the aftermath of World War II , Prienai was occupied by Soviet Union and its population suffered additional losses. Throughout 1945–1946, the Soviets murdered 39 inhabitants from Prienai and its surroundings. On 22–23 May 1948, 1,019 Lithuanians from

660-511: The Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council , a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote , or a council member elected by voters. The title is derived from the Old English title of ealdorman , which literally means "elder person", and which was used by

704-607: The November Uprising of 1830-1831 and the January Uprising of 1863–1864, both of which sought to liberate Lithuanians from the Russian yoke. Following Lithuania's restoration of independence in 1918, Prienai became the center of the county and witnessed unprecedented expansion. By 1937 Prienai had a population of around 4,200, there were 4 banks, 2 pharmacies, 121 shops, 5 mills, a number of sawmills and countless workshops in

748-531: The State of Illinois as alderpersons, though the terms alderman and aldermanic remain in common use. Some cities such as, Ithaca, New York identify aldermen as 'alderpersons'. Others, including New Haven, Connecticut , use the term "alders". Historically the term could also refer to local municipal judges in small legal proceedings (as in Pennsylvania and Delaware ). Pennsylvania's aldermen were phased out in

792-776: The Chase Convalescent Home in Taunton, Massachusetts, where he was living at that time. In the early 20th century, Swig became Vice President of the Tremont Trust Company, in Boston , Massachusetts, which soon became known colloquially as "Simon Swig's Bank." Swig installed his son, Benjamin Swig , as the bank's treasurer. Alongside Tremont, Swig also gained control of the Tamiami Banking of Company of Miami, Florida in 1926. Swig

836-526: The Prienai area were forced by the Soviets into cattle trains and deported to Siberia . In 1949, 675 more local people were deported to Siberia. Most of the deportees either died there or suffered circumstances that never allowed them to return home. AB „Sportinė aviacija“ for a long time was the only glider factory in the Soviet Union. It was founded in 1969. The first Lithuanian glassfibre glider BK-7 "Lietuva"

880-502: The active personal involvement of a priest named Vaitiekus Izdebskis, seventy years later, later a newer and much larger church was built to replace the old one. The present Baroque styled church was built in 1750, though it was refurbished and slightly expanded in 1875. Following the third partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, Prienai was invaded and occupied by Prussia . Prussia ruled there during

924-410: The banking world due to his involvement in taking down Charles Ponzi, Swig made two bold steps in managing his business affairs that were ahead of his time, both of which unfortunately contributed significantly to the downfall of his banking career. Swig proposed that if the banking system collected interest on loans, it should pay interest on deposits as well–-an idea that today appears reasonable, but at

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968-762: The chief nobles presiding over shires . Similar titles exist in other Germanic languages, such as ålderman in Swedish , oldermann in Norwegian , rådmand in Danish and Low German , Olderman in West Frisian , ouderman in Dutch , and Ältermann in German . Finnish also has oltermanni , which was borrowed from Swedish. All of these words mean "elder person" or "wise man". Many local government bodies used

1012-419: The city. At that time the mayor of the city was Julius Greimas, the father of the world renowned Lithuanian - French literary scientist and semiotician Algirdas Julien Greimas . Yet despite the flurry of diverse economic activity, brewing was indisputably the most significant industry in Prienai. The Goldberg beer brewery was established back in 1868 and during the interwar period its facilities dominated

1056-491: The council. In some councils the title is automatically conferred on the mayor regardless of their term of service. Although the term originated in England, it had no single definition there until the 19th century, as each municipal corporation had its own constitution. It was used in England, Wales and Ireland / Northern Ireland (all of Ireland being part of the United Kingdom from January 1801 until December 1922), but

1100-457: The council. The alderman can be forced to resign by a vote of no confidence by the council. In South Africa, the term alderman refers to senior members of municipal councils . They are distinguished from ordinary councillors for their "long and distinguished service as a councillor". The title may be awarded on the basis of a long term of service (commonly 20 years), or a combination of term of service along with leadership positions held within

1144-564: The dragon was granted in the same year. St. George was one of the patron saints of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1579, Prienai was given by Grand Duke of Lithuania Stephen Báthory to the Hungarian nobleman Gabriel Bekes, brother of the more famed Gáspár Bekes , for his loyal participation in the Livonian War . The Bekes family ruled Prienai for the next two decades. Afterwards, it became

1188-421: The ground floor there was a large guest-hall and 16 rooms. On the first floor there were 11 additional rooms and a sizable great hall. Yet over the course of the next century, the Prienai manor house was gradually abandoned. At the onset of the 20th century, only rubble remained. The 3rd Lithuanian Infantry Regiment was stationed in the town in 1792. The first wooden church in Prienai was built in 1604. Thanks to

1232-634: The money had been loaned out, it made a "run" on his bank and tried to withdraw all of its funds at one time. Swig managed to repay the Guild's money, but was dispossessed of his business. Aside from banking, Swig enjoyed a storied career in Massachusetts politics. He served six terms as an alderman in Taunton, Massachusetts and five terms in the Massachusetts State Legislature , representing Taunton for two terms and Roxbury for three terms. He

1276-553: The newly established Polish Duchy of Warsaw . The Napoleonic code was then introduced in this region, which abolished serfdom and guaranteed equality before the law. Following the demise of Napoleon in 1815 and the Congress of Vienna , Prienai together with its surroundings, were annexed by the Russian Empire . The town dwellers of Prienai, together with the inhabitants of neighbouring towns and villages, actively participated in

1320-528: The old-fashioned way--working and saving. A real dollars cannot be made from bubbles," which was clearly aimed at Ponzi as well. Swig appeared in an article in the Post a month later, written by William McMasters , Ponzi's former publicity agent. The article revealed that Ponzi was "hopelessly insolvent " and contained a quote from Swig questioning Ponzi's sanity. Ponzi was finished, and facing indictments and prison time, largely thanks to Swig. Aside from his fame in

1364-535: The property of another Hungarian nobleman, named Kaspar Horvat. In 1616, the Lithuanian nobleman and politician Stefan Pac , who would later become the Deputy Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, acquired Prienai. He and his sons Stanislovas and Mikołaj Stefan Pac owned it up until 1643. For almost one and a half centuries, Prienai was ruled by the Butler family. In 1661, Count Gothard Wilhelm Butler ,

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1408-470: The rest "councillor". Someone co-opted to fill a seat vacated by an alderman would be styled "councillor". In the Netherlands, an alderman (Dutch: wethouder ) is part of the municipal executive and not of the municipal council , which controls the aldermen's actions in office. The alderman is comparable to the office of minister at the national level. However, the alderman can not propose bills to

1452-504: The term " councillor " slowly replaced "alderman", although there was some use of the term "alderperson". Today, the title of "alderman" is rarely used except in some cities in Alberta and Ontario , as well as some smaller municipalities elsewhere in the country, that retain the title for historical reasons. The title "alderman" was abolished for local authorities in the Republic of Ireland by

1496-519: The term "alderman" in Australia. As in the way local councils have been modernised in the United Kingdom and Ireland , the term alderman has been discontinued in a number of places. For example, in the state of Queensland before 1994, rural "shires" elected "councillors" and a "chairman", while "cities" elected a "mayor" and "aldermen". Since 1994, all local and regional government areas in Queensland elect

1540-480: The time was unheard of. As a lawmaker, he even raised this idea as a draft bill in the State Legislature of Massachusetts while he served there as a State Representative. Perhaps more controversial was Swig's hiring process. Swig was proud of his Jewish heritage and expressed it openly and encouraged others to be proud of their heritages. With that philosophy in mind, Swig did something that was simply not done at

1584-452: The time; he employed Jews, women and African-Americans as tellers at his banks branches. The practice was not appreciated in Boston, particularly by the local Bankers Guild. Collaborating in a manner which is illegal today, competing bankers made a move against him: they deposited immense amounts of money in his bank, which he then used to provide loans to others, and once the Guild was assured that

1628-715: The urban landscape of the city. According to local contemporaries, the brewery produced one of the finest beers in Lithuania and its products were regularly exported to Latvia , Poland and the Soviet Union . However, the brewery together with most of its buildings was completely destroyed by the German Luftwaffe during a bombing raid in June 1941. During World War II , when it was occupied by German troops, Prienai lost many of its inhabitants. People emigrated or were expelled, while

1672-508: The vast majority of archeological findings such as tools and antiquity coins date to the Iron Age , when the region of Prienai was inhabited by early Baltic tribes . Lush forests, strategically useful valleys, and stunningly beautiful banks of the Nemunas River were among the main reasons why the area became dotted with 28 hillforts , many of which were relatively densely populated thousands of years ago. The first documented mention of Prienai

1716-536: The years 1795-1807 and made Prienai part of New East Prussia . At the end of the eighteenth century, Prienai underwent rapid economic growth. During that time a glass factory and a paper mill, one of the largest in Lithuania, were established near the town. The paper mill produced extraordinary high quality white, coloured and wrapping paper, which was often exported to cities as distant as Warsaw and Saint Petersburg . After Napoleon defeated Prussia, in 1807, Prussian-occupied Lithuanian territories were transferred to

1760-527: Was a popular figure in the Boston banking world, but rose to prominence for his involvement in uncovering Charles Ponzi 's banking irregularities known as the " Ponzi Scheme ." Early in his career, con man Charles Ponzi rented a room in an office on Court Street, above the Puritan Trust Company . From that office, he hatched his first scheme, which involved stealing 5,387 pounds of cheese, valued at nearly three thousand dollars. Ponzi avoided jail due to

1804-807: Was also chairman and treasurer of the Republican City Committee in Taunton and held a position as a State Hospital Trustee for fifteen years under three different governors. Swig married Pearl Fannie Levy on June 7, 1881, and remained married until she died in 1934. Swig and Levy had eleven children, including Benjamin Harrison Swig , who became chairman of the Fairmont Hotel . Swig's descendants included Fairmont heir Melvin Swig , and notable real estate developers and philanthropists Steven, Robert and Kent Swig. Prienai Prienai ( Lithuanian pronunciation: [prʲɪ̂ɛ.nɐɪ̯ˑ] )

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1848-569: Was built here. Prienai is home to BC Vytautas (formerly BC Prienai / BC Rūdupis / BC Tonybet), a basketball team that competes in the Lithuanian Basketball League . Prienai is twinned with: These distances are as the crow flies and therefore do not represent actual overland distances. In Lithuania: In Europe: Alderman An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in

1892-1056: Was not used in Scotland . Under the Municipal Reform Act 1835 , municipal borough corporations consisted of councillors and aldermen. Aldermen would be elected not by the electorate, but by the council (including the outgoing aldermen), for a term of six years, which allowed a party that narrowly lost an election to retain control by choosing aldermen. This was changed by the Municipal Corporations Amendment Act 1910, so that outgoing aldermen were no longer allowed to vote. County councils , created in Great Britain in 1889 and in Ireland in 1899, also elected aldermen, but rural district and urban district councils did not. The Local Government Act 1972 finally abolished Aldermen with voting rights, with effect from 1974, except in

1936-461: Was tied up in a lawsuit. One week later, as suspicion of Ponzi's success began to appear in the Boston Post , Swig took out a full-page ad which read, "Our dividends are paid out of our earned and collected income, and not out of other fellow's principal." The ad did not mention Ponzi by name, but it was clear to Boston whom it was about. Another ad ran by Swig read, "REAL DOLLARS are still made in

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