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Prohibitionists’ Domain and Smugglers’ Paradise: Florida’s Peculiar Status During Prohibition | Lauren Sumners

Editor’s Note: A version of this article originally appeared on Florida Verve, The James Madison Institute’s website devoted to Florida’s arts and culture.

he U.S. Constitution’s 18th Millions of Americans chose to Amendment had taken effect at the drink anyway, so the demand for booze beginning of the Roaring Twenties. had to be satisfied through illegal means TThen hailed as a “noble experiment” but that included bootlegging, smuggling, later viewed as a colossal mistake that speakeasies, and the illegal production spawned all sorts of crime, the so-called of alcoholic beverages ranging from “Prohibition Amendment” told a thirsty moonshine whiskey to bathtub gin. nation, “Don’t drink!” During this tumultuous decade,

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Florida elected as its Governor a preacher Florida counties along the 250-mile long named Sidney J. Catts, the candidate of stretch of coastline from Titusville in the Prohibition Party, and became the northern Brevard County to Florida City 15th state to ratify the 18th Amendment near the southern border of Dade (now in 1918. Ironic since Florida was also in Miami-Dade) County, had a combined the thick of the aforementioned illegal population of only 82,843, with more than activities, gaining nationwide notoriety half of the population clustered in the as a hotbed of smuggling. These illegal Miami area. Today, incidentally, the seven activities were highly profitable for the counties along that stretch of coastline enterprising criminals who engaged in have a combined population of 7.9 million. them. Many stayed in business by bribing (Smuggling has not come to a halt, but corrupt officials to look the other way. The nowadays, the illicit cargo is more likely to lucky ones also managed be drugs than booze.) to avoid getting nabbed Also helping the by honest lawmen such “Perhaps Florida’s smugglers was the fact as Eliot Ness, whose officials even had that the southernmost relentless team of this colorful chapter portions of Florida’s federal agents was later of the state’s history Atlantic seaboard immortalized in The in mind in 1986, were not far from the Untouchables, a popular when they adopted Bahamas, then a British TV series (1959-63) and colony. Most of the rum a 1987 movie. a controversial new and other illegal booze For drinkers slogan to use in entered Florida through and those who the ads promoting the Bahamas, where the surreptitiously supplied tourism: ‘Florida. The sale of liquor remained them during Prohibition, Rules Are Different legal. Nassau, on New the thrill of obtaining Here.’” Providence Island, smuggled liquor was further cemented its a quintessentially historic reputation as American custom. This act brought to a hub of piracy and crime by becoming mind the rebellious streak of the nation’s the bootleggers’ paradise during the founders and their defiance of the 1920s. Nassau served as the depot for oppressive laws and taxes imposed by a alcohol shipped there from all parts of tyrannical monarch. Floridians were not the world. From Nassau, rum runners immune to the lure of smuggling. Freckled would transport their illegal goods to the along the state’s Atlantic seaboard, and infamous Rum Row, which was created extending out among the islands of the by one of Prohibition’s biggest celebrities, Bahamas and the Caribbean, lay bays and William “Bill” McCoy. McCoy, a Miami inlets ideal for the trade, which would sailor, was a pioneer in the rum-running famously become known as rum-running. trade. His reputation for successful It also helped that in the 1920 census, the smuggling soared in 1921, when he

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managed to get a shipment of 1,500 cases and could welcome as many as 50 of prime liquor from Nassau to Savannah, powerboats ready to receive orders and Georgia. McCoy returned with $15,000 in smuggle the booze. Bimini, about 50 miles his pocket and a vision for Florida’s illegal east of Miami, received a lot of attention liquor trade. Setting sail, McCoy anchored from rum runners because of its speedy his boat just outside the U.S. territorial boats, which became known as “Bimini waters and established the beginnings of boats” and were capable of reaching the Rum Row. Florida coast in a mere two hours. Rum Row was a stretch of ocean From these two ports large barges that lay just beyond the U.S. territorial loaded with thousands of cases of liquor limits along the Eastern Seaboard. At that would depart at sunset and travel toward time, the territorial limit was a mere 3 their contact points in the dark of the miles off the coast. Long chains of vessels night. They were often aided by fishermen carrying liquor of every sort tossed their who were bribed to serve as lookouts. Once contraband to contact boats assigned to ashore, the smuggled liquor, disguised deliver the smuggled cargo to accomplices as common legal goods such as citrus or on the mainland, all while avoiding the fish, would be transferred onto vehicles interference of customs officials and other awaiting the deliveries. Once the transfers lawmen. were completed, the boats would head back McCoy increased his productivity to their home ports, returning by sunrise. by repacking the liquor bottles into a clever Clever methods of concealing their form of packaging he invented called the smuggled cargo helped the smugglers “ham.” To create the ham, straw was stuffed avoid raising the suspicion of customs into the bottoms of burlap bags, and six officials. Submersion tanks were chained to bottles were arranged to form triangular the underside of vessels, and false bottoms sacs that were sewn shut. Hams could were installed for ample storage of liquor transport three times more liquor than in the underbelly of boats. While a portion wooden cases and better protect the illegal of the liquor remained in Florida, most of goods from damage during transportation. it was transported north for distribution in McCoy created an image for himself as a the nation’s more populous regions. The fair and honest dealer. His booze was never rum-running captains who thrived on watered down or relabeled, and he never the thrill of the trade were nothing short paid bribes for government protection. of local heroes to the people in their time. What customers saw was what they got, The economies of Florida and the Bahamas allegedly coining the famous phrase, “The had grown reliant upon the revenue Real McCoy.” brought in by the illegal booze, causing Two of the best-known and most even local officials to remain fiercely loyal active ports involved in these covert to the rum-running trade and protect their operations included West End and Bimini. “hometown business.” Many lawmen could Sixty miles east of West Palm Beach, West even see the line of rum runner vessels in End was home to nine liquor warehouses nighttime’s darkness, their lights bouncing

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up and down on the waves, but left them past. By 1927, Rum Row had been put out alone. of business, and from 1928-1930 the Rum Even Great Britain, a major War, an all-out attack on smugglers, quickly producer of Scotch whisky and, through its squashed the rum-running business. Caribbean colonies, rum showed a lack of The huge success of Florida’s respect for the Americans’ attempts to ban rum-running businesses helped to ignite alcohol. Early in the Prohibition era, for the flames of the state’s rapid growth in instance, Britain largely refused to punish the 1920s. The Florida land boom was its colonial subjects who were involved well underway, and its reputation as a in smuggling in the Bahamas and other safe haven for crime lords such as Al colonies. However, in 1922 an Anglo- Capone gave the state that bit of edge American Rum Running Convention many Americans found enticing during was held, and by 1924 a new treaty was the Roaring Twenties. Despite the Coast signed under which Britain allowed for Guard’s vigorous attempts to shut down the examination of papers and inspection smuggling, the public’s reliance upon the of private British vessels revenue brought in by the once they reached a smugglers, along with point within one hour’s “The huge success of tourists flocking to visit travel of the American Florida’s rum-running perhaps the wettest state coast. businesses helped in the country at the time, If a ship was to ignite the flames caused many state and suspected of violating the of the state’s rapid local officials to protect Prohibition laws, it could growth in the 1920s.” its liquid enterprise. be searched. If it was Thus occurred one of found to be in violation the more brazen and of those laws, it could be seized. This treaty, ironic chapters in Florida’s checkered along with two new laws that Congress had history. Perhaps Florida’s officials even had enacted, was a major factor in the eventual this colorful chapter of the state’s history demise of Rum Row. Moreover, after in mind in 1986, when they adopted a President Calvin Coolidge asked Congress controversial new slogan to use in the ads to improve the Coast Guard’s fleet in order promoting tourism: “Florida. The Rules to allow stricter enforcement of Prohibition Are Different Here.” laws, Congress appropriated the necessary funds and authorized the transfer of the Lauren Sumners is a Florida State University desired vessels from the Navy. Torpedo junior double majoring in Public Relations boat destroyers, cabin cruisers, motorboats and Editing, Writing, and Media, and is an and mine sweepers now replaced the intern with The James Madison Institute. sluggish and easily outrun boats of the

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