Years ago, Boss Rupert Thorne was the most prominent crimeboss in Gotham City. He played a big part in the election of the corrupt Mayor Hamilton Hill, who branded the Batman an outlaw (again). In a failed attempt to learn Batman's secret identity, Thorne made the mistake of trying to kill Hugo Strange. Strange's machinations made Thorne believe that Strange was haunting him from the grave, something that drove Thorne insane. After doing time in Arkham Asylum, Thorne erroneously concluded that it was Mayor Hill and his men who were responsible for those machinations, and vowed to get revenge. The conflict ended with Thorne killing the likewise corrupt police commissioner Peter Pauling. Boss Thorne was sentenced to prison and probably still remains in Blackgate.