383:, the Federal Prohibition Bureau, as well as other forces. The Detroit Border patrol was not very successful in their attempts to stop alcohol smuggling. The Federal Prohibition Bureau claimed that four-fifths of the nation's supply of contraband alcohol came from Detroit. At the start of prohibition the American forces trying to stop rum-running to Detroit were very impotent. But by 1922, they developed a powerful speedboat loaded with heavy weaponry, which would be the beginning of the "prohibition navy."
132:
33:
151:
penalties for drinking were not much of a deterrent. The thrill of violating prohibition laws appealed to the young, who were rarely embarrassed to have their names in the paper. Blind pigs generally went unnoticed, although those near churches and schools were often targeted. Drinking on campuses was usually concentrated among sororities and fraternities. The
Volstead Act allowed people to obtain liquor for "medicinal purposes" by a physician's
246:
organized the distribution. Gangs with strong financial backing would often bribe federal, state, and local officials. Eventually airplanes were used after the prohibition navy became effective, and railways were also used extensively. Railways were responsible for around 800 cases of beer daily. Customs officers noticed that after the
Volstead Act there was a sharp increase in the application of motorboat licenses.
69:, which prohibited the manufacturing, sale, or consumption of alcoholic beverages expired on January 1, 1920, new legislation authorized each province to decide whether to continue the enforced bans on alcohol. Like most provinces in Canada, Ontario chose to continue to ban the production and sale of alcohol. This decision led to an upswing in organized crime activity along the Detroit-Windsor borders.
143:, blind pigs, clubs or joints. By 1928, there were from 16,000 to 25,000 speakeasies and clubs in the Windsor-Detroit area, located in slums as well as in some of Detroit's most prestigious neighborhoods. Popular drinks of the time varied depending on the club, distinguishing one club from another. Criminal gangs either owned the clubs or protected from police and other gangs.
214:, but would then simply drop off its shipments in Detroit. The only stipulation being a B-13 clearance document had to be issued from federal customs officials with the destination stamped on it. For example, rum runners would unload a boxcar into a boat at the docks in Windsor. The boat driver would have a permit, stamped by a bribed
305:, it was an obvious choice for Diesbourg to expand his operations across the border. Farming or fishing wages of $ 35 a month could not compete with monthly rum-running salaries of $ 400 a month for a captain. Seventy-five percent of all illegal liquor brought into the United States was transported across the Detroit River from
372:
technology than the police. The police responded by introducing new equipment. Once the "prohibition navy" was established, rum runners began using aircraft. Canada was reluctant to close distilleries because of tax revenues and the potential loss of thousands of jobs, thus making alcohol easily available.
386:
The United States was growing tired of the violence involved with smuggling; the unemployment rate was a staggering 46% in 1931. In 1933 it was argued that the legalization of liquor would reduce crime, lawlessness, and gangs. The 18th amendment was repealed by the 21st amendment on
December 5, 1933.
150:
The lure of speakeasies during prohibition is not difficult to understand. Gambling played a significant role — slot machines, poker, blackjack, and roulette were popular in higher-class blind pigs — giving clubs a social and economic benefit. The commonly accepted attitude and minimal
371:
Customs officers and police officials were overwhelmed by the smuggling; not only by the sheer number of people engaged in it, but also due to a miscalculation regarding Canada's commitment. The prohibition enforcement agencies lacked organization and smugglers often had better routes and better
362:
most of Low's fortune had dried up in legal fees fighting charges in both Canada and the United States, as well as investing in his own promotions company, which ultimately failed. Low came full circle when he returned to Quebec to work as a toolmaker in a shipyard, leaving his now failed empire
338:
booze from
Windsor, Ontario. Low borrowed $ 300 from a friend to help him along with setting up a bootlegging business for his pool hall customers. Through the profits he made from this operation he was able to close his pool hall and move on to bigger bootlegging businesses, starting small by
162:
to enjoy a good time while drinking. There were several places for
Americans to drink and party simply by crossing the Detroit River, including roadhouses. One of the most popular was the Island View Hotel, off the shore of the Detroit River with its own dock. Today, Island View Hotel known as
114:
of 1920 defined intoxicating liquor as any liquor containing more than 0.5% alcohol. It permitted the manufacture of non-intoxicating cider and fruit juices for home use, as well as permitting households to ferment wine for private consumption; and it allowed the sale of alcoholic beverages for
245:
Criminal gangs developed sophisticated methods to signal across the border to avoid raids and arrests; timed like clockwork, one group arranged the purchase of liquor on
Windsor's docks while another team transported it across. A third team would transport it to a warehouse where a final team
186:
The "Wets" were those who opposed prohibition and were, for the most part, poorly organized, especially in the early years. Saloon keepers, brewers, and distillers were viewed as corrupting influences, and many people who enjoyed consuming alcohol in private were constrained from doing so, or
119:" with an alcohol content of up to 0.5%. To make the near beer, distilleries produced beer and then let it sit to allow most of its alcoholic content to evaporate. This allowed breweries to produce virtually unlimited amounts of beer. Even though Ontario had their own prohibition, called the
92:
After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby
339:
running liquor from
Windsor across the Detroit River into Detroit. This proved to be so successful that soon Low had to purchase two cargo ships, most notable of which was the World War I Mine sweeper named "The Vedas", which was used mostly for the movement of alcohol from
146:
Some clubs and speakeasies offered food, at times for free with the purchase of a beverage to encourage customers during prohibition. Police were often bribed to protect against raids, however, they would intervene if a club was prone to violence or cases of food poisoning.
222:. Instead of Venezuela, the driver would simply take his cargo to Detroit. A day's work could net the driver approximately $ 200. Harry Low was one of the first people to take full advantage of this opportunity by purchasing large vessels to deliver alcohol to
276:) divided the waterways into sections and if crossed, all-out warfare would follow. Gangs were financially stable and it allowed them to control state officials and police. They would hire anyone to transport alcohol: families, men, women, and young teenagers.
105:
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the
Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the
123:, which lasted from 1916 through 1927, it was still legal to manufacture and export alcohol. This loophole led to a great deal of alcohol smuggling via the Detroit River between Windsor and Detroit, the largest U.S. city on the Canada–U.S. border.
294:. His success brought him in contact with Al Capone, who arranged a deal with Diesbourg to supply him with the regular shipment of booze by plane. Diesbourg took the name "King Canada" at this time as an alias to hide from legal authorities.
261:. The Purple Gang's main rivals were the Licavoli Squad, who ran their smuggling operations on the upper Detroit River, virtually seizing control over the bigger east side businesses in the city. The Purple Gang became a major supplier to
329:
during the prohibition era, leaving behind one of
Windsor's most treasured historic sites Devonshire Lodge. Low was a machinist by trade and worked in the industry for many years before opening up his own pool hall on Sandwich Street (Now
316:
King Canada would smuggle liquor into the United States either by ship or plane, as well as used cars across the frozen
Detroit River during the winter. He was one of the few bootleggers to utilize planes in his smuggling operations.
237:
In wintertime, when the Detroit River froze, rum runners drove across the river, often taking lighter cars with smaller engines. These lighter vehicles were called "whiskey sixes" by the smugglers because of the vehicle's
183:. Supporters of prohibition argued that it helped the American family, churches, schools, workers, and the American political system. The losers, in this view, were seen as criminals, drunks and corrupt politicians.
512:
609:
313:
to the St. Clair River. In fact, the city's two major industries during this time were the manufacturing of automobiles and the distribution of Canadian liquor.
82:
194:
provided opportunities to win broader support for prohibition. Rationing was widely accepted as a necessary ingredient of the American war effort. The use of
683:
Philip P. Mason, Rumrunning and The Roaring Twenties: Prohibition on the Michigan-Ontario Waterway(Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1995), front flap.
171:
The term "Drys" referred to those who were in favor of prohibition, who were generally well-financed and organized, and included figures such as
65:
The Canadian federal government regulated the manufacturing, importation, and exportation of alcoholic beverages in all the provinces. When the
354:
for tax evasion. Low and his associates were also linked to the murder of a former employee whose body was found in southern Michigan near the
486:
290:
Blaise Diesbourg, also known as "King Canada," was a major figure in the liquor smuggling and bootlegging business around Windsor during the
907:
692:
Marty Gervais, The Rumrunners: A Prohibition Scrapbook (Canada: Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication, 1980, 2009), 56.
653:
Marty Gervais, The Rumrunners: A Prohibition Scrapbook (Canada: Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication, 1980, 2009), 51.
431:
882:
474:
The rise and fall of prohibition: the human side of what the Eighteenth amendment and the Volstead act have done to the United States
902:
379:
had several agencies attempting to stop smuggling from happening along the Detroit River. There was the Detroit Border Patrol, the
922:
176:
516:
17:
210:. One of the most significant methods was for large vessels docked in Windsor on the Detroit River to have documentation for
892:
36:
The many islands of the Detroit River made smuggling between Windsor and Detroit difficult to detect during Prohibition.
331:
99:
The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
291:
198:, which could otherwise have been used in the production of necessary agricultural products, was seen as wasteful.
834:
Rennie, Gary. (9 September 2010). "'Grand Bend' visions for Belle River; Councillor sees tourism possibilities."
363:
behind him in Windsor. He would eventually return to Windsor, where he died in 1955 at the Hotel Dieu Hospital.
334:) in Windsor. As prohibition came to fruition in the 1920s, Low witnessed an opportunity to make quick money by
862:
829:
441:
265:
and his Chicago Empire. The Purple Gang fell in 1929 after many leaders were either arrested or murdered.
897:
872:
867:
135:
Detroit police inspecting equipment found in a clandestine underground brewery during the Prohibition era
917:
912:
887:
877:
78:
590:
Janice Patton, "The Sinking of the I'm Alone", McCelland and Stewart Limited, Toronto, 1973, pg 13
490:
768:
Janice Patton, "The Sinking of the I'm Alone", McCelland and Stewart Limited, Toronto, 1973, pg19
622:
Janice Patton, "The Sinking of the I'm Alone", McCelland and Stewart Limited, Toronto, 1973, pg12
66:
115:
medicinal, sacramental, and industrial purposes. The Volstead Act allowed breweries to produce "
110:
Congressman Andrew John Volstead was one of the main promoters of the Eighteenth Amendment. The
537:
Gerald A. Hallowell, "Prohibition In Ontario, 1919-1923" Love Printing Service Ltd. Ottawa,1972
120:
234:, also sold trainloads of liquor into Detroit and Chicago through Niagara Falls and Windsor.
351:
152:
8:
376:
273:
258:
180:
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supporting its legal use, by social, political, or religious considerations in public.
463:
Daniel Okrent, "Last Call, The Rise and Fall of Prohibition", Scribner, New York, 2010
825:
437:
269:
231:
51:
548:
Rum-Running and the Roaring Twenties, Prohibition on the Michigan-Ontario Waterways
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285:
159:
59:
50:, Canada, was a major activity in the early part of the 20th century. In 1916, the
822:
Rumrunning and the Roaring Twenties: Prohibition on the Michigan-Ontario Waterway
631:
Marty Gervais, "Rum Runners", Bilioasis, Emeryville, Canada, 2009, pg 205 and 213
433:
Rumrunning and the Roaring Twenties: Prohibition on the Michigan-Ontario Waterway
250:
215:
249:
There were not a lot of locally organized groups involved with rum running, but
380:
856:
302:
298:
254:
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while having papers saying his shipments were to Cuban or West Indian ports.
211:
195:
131:
175:, organized civic groups, some religious denominations, and many leaders of
172:
111:
326:
227:
191:
140:
55:
41:
32:
777:
Marty Gervais, "Rum Runners", Bilioasis, Emeryville, Canada, 2009, pg 28
599:
Marty Gervais, "Rum Runners", Bilioasis, Emeryville, Canada, 2009, pg 96
581:
Marty Gervais, "Rum Runners", Bilioasis, Emeryville, Canada, 2009, pg 22
559:
Marty Gervais, "Rum Runners", Bilioasis, Emeryville, Canada, 2009, pg.38
665:
239:
72:
54:, in the United States, banned the sale of alcohol, three years before
58:
became the national law in 1919. From that point forward, the City of
346:
With all of his accomplishments, there were also downfalls. In 1928,
335:
310:
262:
219:
116:
340:
223:
803:
Davis, Mark C. (1985). "Atlantic Canada's Rum Running Tradition."
663:
Davis, C. Mark (1985). "Atlantic Canada's Rum Running Tradition".
407:, 2d ed., M-Bender & company inc., Albany New York, 1925. p.18
206:
Rum runners found several ways to smuggle alcohol from Windsor to
347:
207:
47:
306:
843:
Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
487:"Prohibition's Hangover -- Ontario's Black Market in Alcohol"
139:
The popular saying, "Joe sent me", was used to gain entry to
841:
Spence, B. H. (1923). "Prohibitory Legislation in Canada,"
355:
350:
Brewery, which Low was CEO of at the time, was sued by the
62:
was a major site for alcohol smuggling and gang activity.
155:, this often was then diluted and sold for huge profits.
756:
The bootleggers: The story of Chicago's Prohibition era
610:"Nation's first woman crime boss went out with a bang"
297:
Due to the ease and proximity of smuggling across the
83:
Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
73:
The Eighteenth Amendment, Volstead Act and near beer
647:
644:, Ontario Historical Society, Toronto, 1975. p.120
550:, Wayne State University Press, Detroit, 1995 p.89
797:
309:, mainly along the thirty-five mile stretch from
163:Abars, is closed and the building was torn down.
854:
405:National prohibition, the Volstead Act annotated
734:
732:
730:
728:
817:. Thornhill, Ont: Firefly Books. pages 51–63.
741:The Rumrunners – a prohibition scrapbook
704:The Rumrunners – a prohibition scrapbook
272:, Vitali, and Giannolo families; see more at
253:was one, dealing with criminal activity from
725:
719:Prohibition on the Michigan-Ontario Waterway
436:. Wayne State University Press. p. 37.
325:Harry Low was one of Windsor's most famous
179:which also supported social causes such as
126:
824:. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
716:
553:
130:
31:
27:Alcohol smuggling in 20th century Canada
815:The Rumrunners: A Prohibition Scrapbook
738:
721:. New York: Scholarly Book Service Inc.
701:
190:The entrance of the United States into
14:
855:
753:
218:, allowing him to export his cargo to
758:. New Rochelle, N.Y: Arlington House.
662:
612:. thesudburystar.com. April 26, 2016.
788:Rum-Running and the Roaring Twenties
570:Rum-Running and the Roaring Twenties
515:. cdigs.uwindsor.ca. Archived from
420:, Nimbus, Halifax N.S., c.2009 p.30
279:
24:
25:
934:
476:, MacMillan, New York, 1923. p.55
883:Prohibition in the United States
358:state line. By the end of the
166:
813:Gervais, C. H. (Marty). (1980)
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923:Smuggling in the United States
908:Canada–United States relations
798:References and further reading
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196:grain for alcohol production
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903:Canada–United States border
893:History of Windsor, Ontario
292:American prohibition period
10:
939:
429:
366:
343:to the docks of Windsor.
283:
201:
820:Mason, Philip P. (1995).
743:. Toronto: FireFly Books.
706:. Toronto: Firefly Books.
430:Mason, Philip P. (1995).
403:Arthur Walker Blakemore,
85:. It had three sections:
77:On January 16, 1919, the
754:Allsop, Kenneth (1970).
717:Philip P, Mason (2002).
513:"Ontario Temperance Act"
390:
177:the Progressive movement
739:Gervais, Marty (1980).
702:Gervais, Marty (1980).
158:Many Americans came to
67:Wartime Prohibition Act
642:Prohibition in Ontario
472:Charles Hanson Towne,
136:
121:Ontario Temperance Act
108:
37:
18:Rum-running in Windsor
863:Prohibition in Canada
134:
87:
35:
640:Gerald A. Mallowell,
519:on February 12, 2019
352:Government of Canada
230:, a bootlegger from
377:American government
274:Detroit Partnership
240:six-cylinder engine
79:American Government
898:History of Detroit
873:Crimes in Michigan
868:Alcohol in Ontario
137:
38:
918:1920s in Michigan
786:Philip P. Mason,
568:Philip P. Mason,
546:Philip P. Mason,
268:Italian mafiosi (
232:Hamilton, Ontario
52:State of Michigan
16:(Redirected from
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913:1920s in Ontario
888:Smuggling routes
878:Crime in Ontario
836:The Windsor Star
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493:on July 24, 2008
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416:Allison Lawlor,
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360:Great Depression
286:Blaise Diesbourg
280:Blaise Diesbourg
181:women's suffrage
60:Windsor, Ontario
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212:South America
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167:Drys vs. Wets
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127:"Joe sent me"
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523:February 10,
521:. Retrieved
517:the original
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497:November 14,
495:. Retrieved
491:the original
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473:
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449:December 11,
447:. Retrieved
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153:prescription
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112:Volstead Act
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101:
96:
95:
93:prohibited.
89:
88:
76:
64:
40:
39:
29:
418:Rum-Running
327:rum runners
228:Rocco Perri
192:World War I
141:speakeasies
81:passed the
56:prohibition
42:Rum-running
857:Categories
830:0814325831
805:Acadiensis
666:Acadiensis
443:0814325831
103:Section 3.
97:Section 2.
90:Section 1.
44:in Windsor
849:: 230–64.
336:smuggling
321:Harry Low
311:Lake Erie
263:Al Capone
259:Wyandotte
220:Venezuela
117:near beer
106:Congress.
790:, p. 145
341:Montreal
270:Licavoli
224:Michigan
367:Outcome
348:Carling
301:to the
208:Detroit
202:Methods
160:Windsor
48:Ontario
828:
572:, p.20
440:
307:Canada
838:, A5.
391:Notes
826:ISBN
525:2019
499:2019
451:2020
438:ISBN
375:The
356:Ohio
847:109
257:to
859::
845:,
808:14
727:^
671:14
669:.
242:.
46:,
527:.
501:.
453:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
