Often described as a populist, Hanna was widely regarded as eccentric and abrasive and constantly clashed with the Utica business and political establishment, the rest of city government, and other local groups.

A "non-stop talker"[2] who The New York Times called "flamboyant, combative, and controversial",[3] he once described Utica as "a stinking, rotten town"[4] and "a lousy place to live" and told Uticans to move away for better opportunities.

He left Utica Free Academy during his sophomore year to enlist with the United States Marine Corps during World War II.

[6][7] Through the 1950s, the local Democratic party was led by Rufus Elefante, a political boss who was largely at the center of Utica's widespread corruption.

He found that the children of politicians and party leaders were often employed in paying summer jobs that they never actually reported to.

[15][16] The state and local Democratic party saw Hanna's actions as a black eye, putting him out of their good graces: he was not reappointed as a parks commissioner in 1956.

[17] He also called for Elefante to resign from politics and asked Senator Robert F. Kennedy to help reorganize the Democratic party in Oneida County.

[1] In 1973, Hanna ran as an independent in the race for Mayor of Utica and won a narrow victory against Republican incumbent Michael Caruso and a Democratic challenger.

This was met with complaints from the public about insufficient snow removal and street repair, as well as legal action from the Teamsters.

[17] He ordered that city telephone bills be reviewed for unauthorized long-distance charges, barred city employees from using public works garages for personal vehicles, and locked gas pumps in public works garages to prevent theft.

The ban was lifted and reinstated at times and was sometimes disregarded by city officials such as the comptroller and clerk, who were more independent of Hanna.

[25][26][17] Hanna publicly railed against the Utica political and business establishment, sometimes during meetings on completely different topics.

[2] In a press conference he called Utica "a lousy place to live" and advised young Uticans to seek their fortunes elsewhere, blaming the local newspapers and chamber of commerce.

[18] Hanna also spoke out against labor unions, calling them "our nation's number one [...] villains" and blaming them for ruining New York City.

[2][17] Hanna's opponents accused him of egomania, instability, making misleading statements about budget matters, a lack of foresight and long-term plans, and an unwillingness to either listen or delegate: the business community in particular feared that his volatility would drive away investors.

[17] A former editor of the Utica newspapers, Mason C. Taylor, joined Hanna's administration as an advisor but quit after two months: his letter of resignation criticized Hanna's autocratic and abusive governing style and expressed fears that city government could collapse badly enough that the state would need to step in.

[2][17] However, many working-class Uticans admired Hanna's independence and unwillingness to take guff,[2] as well as his willingness to try new things even if they did not work out.

[18] He let a teen rock band practice in City Hall's underground Civil Defense shelter, then wrote them a check for $1,000 when their instruments were stolen.

Hanna and the councilmen who voted against the contract received anonymous death threats and were placed under police surveillance.

[2][17] In August of his first year, four youths in the Corn Hill neighborhood were arrested following a disturbance, and Hanna ordered them released.

Rotundo maintained that Hanna was exceeding his authority in suspending him and his officers, and that the documents requested were confidential and could only be released under court order.

[18][17] Hanna's most ambitious project was "La Promenade", an urban renewal plan that would have converted downtown Utica into a European-style grand boulevard.

Components of the plan included a replica of Rome's Spanish Steps and converting Union Station into an "Olympic Hall of Fame".

He was responsible, at the urging of a local anti-poverty agency, for producing the first functioning housing plan in the city's history, which provided $2,000 grants to homeowners for renovations.

[7] In late 1999, Hanna reintroduced the silent treatment for the Observer-Dispatch, requiring reporters to file written questions to department heads.

Interviews were banned, and for a time the police blotter was unavailable, resulting in incomplete coverage of basic traffic incidents.

[42][22] The city was audited by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regarding $1.3 million of federal funds spent in 1997 and 1998.

Although he claimed to be resigning due to health problems, at the time he was facing allegations of sexual harassment from four male city employees.

City residents complained that snow removal by the underfunded Department of Public Works was ineffectual, and after a major storm in January 1976, auto accidents rose four times the average.