 
Annaanna
Member
Username: Annaanna
Post Number: 2
Registered: 05-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 03, 2008 - 2:46 am: |    |
Does anyone have any knowledge of bootleggging in the Chene St. area of Detroit in the early 1900's? Hamtramck? How about the Chene and Trombly corner where a home and "Candy Store" were located. How did the small timers get away w/it and did they have to belong to something like the "Purple Gang" to do it? Any good and RELIABLE stories will be much appreciated.  |
Eastsidedame
Member
Username: Eastsidedame
Post Number: 229
Registered: 12-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 03, 2008 - 5:14 am: | |
My dad was born in Hamtramck in 1921 and passed away 2 years ago. This is a story he'd tell me from time to time.
It seems that although there was a law against alcohol, no one paid much attention to it. Lots of people made their own stuff. You'd sell it only to people you knew. It wasn't a business, just a little extra cash.
My dad's parents made vodka and beer. My mom's parents (Italians) made wine. In fact, we had the old wine press for years. Mom put it in the garden and planted flowers in it.
Sorry for the OT. Anyway, Grandpa had a little too much one night and just threw the mash out into the alley. The pungent smell of sopping wet hops and yeast soon brought Hamtramck's finest to the door.
They arrested both my grandparents and Dad & Uncle Ted stayed with the next door neighbor for three days. She was a black lady with many many kids ..9, or 10. And she still took care of two extra ones for a few days until my grandparents could scrape together the money for the fine.
When my grandma got home, she made up several dozen perogi and brought them to her.
The purpose of him telling me this story is to illustrate the bond between black and Polish people, both a persecuted lot back then.
I'm guessing that you wanted to hear about gangs. Well, neither side of my family would put up with that. You were just not allowed to be anywhere, near wherever gangsters hung out. Period. You would get you butt fried from here to Sunday. |
Raptor56
Member
Username: Raptor56
Post Number: 331
Registered: 05-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 03, 2008 - 10:02 am: | |
coincidentally, there was a show on the History channel last night about bootlegging in Detroit. |
Stinger4me
Member
Username: Stinger4me
Post Number: 231
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 03, 2008 - 2:18 pm: | |
My grandfather made some whiskey. He is dead now, it was another source of income for the family. I think they lived on Charles St., across from what is now Lasky Field or Jayne Field. My mother told of driving to the country to dump the mash. I recall in the late 60's people dumping mash in the railroad yard on Mt. Elliott near the former Plymouth assembly plant. |
Jcole
Member
Username: Jcole
Post Number: 1419
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 03, 2008 - 2:24 pm: | |
My father was a cop back in the 30's-70's, and I have a newspaper article from the late 40's where he and his men smashed up a still at 1518 Mullet St. It's really interesting that they gave the names and addresses of everyone picked up in the raid.
It tells how much mash, how many gallons of whiskey and all the other paraphenalia they busted up, as well as the fact that they kept 10 gallons for evidence to turn over to the Feds. |
Karl_jr
Member
Username: Karl_jr
Post Number: 287
Registered: 06-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 03, 2008 - 2:37 pm: | |
My Dads Uncle was a detroit police officer 10's-40's he raided several stills. There used to be a piece of a still (coil/drip bucket) in the attic of our house that belonged to a purple operation that was spared and brought to my grandfather to supplement his beer and wine making - no more bath tub gin! |
Flybydon
Member
Username: Flybydon
Post Number: 226
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 04, 2008 - 11:57 am: | |
Welcome to DY Annaanna.
If things don’t change soon we’ll all be making alcohol to power our vehicles.
Good story I read the other day was about a foreign group that was hijacking tanker
trucks then bootlegging the fuel to other Asian countries. Soon to happen here too I’d bet. |