Albert Alonzo "Doc" Ames (January 18, 1842 – November 16, 1911) was an American physician and politician who held four non-consecutive terms as mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

His fourth term was marked by multiple prosecutions for political corruption, extortion, and racketeering in a scandal which was publicized nationwide by muckraking journalist Lincoln Steffens in a 1903 article in McClure's Magazine titled The Shame of Minneapolis.

Erik Rivenes, however, has called the downfall of Mayor Ames, "one of the greatest political scandals in Minnesota history.

After the outbreak of the American Civil War and tensions with the Dakota people began to flare up, Ames enlisted in the 9th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment as a private in August 1862.

In July 1864, Ames replaced Lucius B. Smith as surgeon of the 7th Regiment, after the latter was killed in action during the Battle of Tupelo.

During this era Minnesota was heavily dominated by the Republican party and thus Ames faced difficult odds for most state offices.

The narrow margin of victory sparked controversy over who was the actual winner, and the election was contested until Ames decided the effort was not worth the time.

[8] He also ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the United States House of Representatives and, at one time, had been under consideration as a candidate for the vice presidency.

Between his underhanded election strategy and accusations of corruption in his prior administrations, Ames was described as "damned politically, socially and professionally" when he entered office in 1901.

Medical student and confidant Irwin A. Gardner was made a special policeman, worked as the Mayor's bagman, and was also put in charge of the city's vice squad.

[2]: 344–345 [11] Mayor Ames and the Minneapolis police began operating as an organized crime syndicate, extorting protection money and various "fines" from the city's illegal businesses.

It was speculated that women were setting up candy stores to run a legitimate business to children and workers out front, but providing the services of prostitutes in the back.

Attempts by the Hennepin County sheriff to crack down on the widespread criminal activities were quashed, but even average citizens were aware of the city's descent into corruption.

[2]: 340, 346 In April 1902, a grand jury under the leadership of foreman Hovey C. Clarke began an investigation into the Minneapolis city government and its officials.

Clarke was a respected and successful citizen who singlehandedly took on the case, dismissing the county's prosecutor when he was unwilling to attack Ames.

[13] Despite a "strong fight on the part of the fugitive,"[2]: 348  Ames was extradited to Minnesota and put on trial for receiving a bribe of six hundred dollars from a prostitute.

[2]: 348  Based on the testimony of his co-conspirators, including his bagman Irwin A. Gardner, Ames was found guilty and sentenced to six years in the Minnesota State Prison at Stillwater.

His obituary in the Minneapolis Morning Tribune described Ames as a 33rd degree Scottish Rite Freemason, and a Knight Templar.

In his memoir Augie's Secrets, Twin Cities journalist Neal Karlen concedes that the power temporarily wielded in Minneapolis by Jewish-American organized crime figures like Kid Cann and David Berman beginning in the Prohibition-era gave a major boost to local anti-Semitism, for which Minneapolis became infamous nationwide.

Karlen further argues, however, that the pervasive criminality during Mayor Ames' last term demonstrates that the city of Minneapolis was even more corrupt when Scandinavians and White Anglo-Saxon Protestants were still running it.