Speakeasies were formed in the 1920's as a means to get around the
everyday hassle of law enforcement watching for people to violate the
18th Amendment. As a result of Prohibition, the speakeasy was an
established institution. For every legitimate saloon that closed as a
result of the new law, a half dozen underground palaces sprung up.
These speakeasies were one of the many ways that people during the
1920's and early 1930's obtained illegal alcohol. By the middle of
the decade there were thought to be 100,000 speakeasies in New York
City alone. Patrons often said you could get a glass of liquor at any
building on 52nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in New York
City--if you knew where the speakeasies were and if you had the
password to get in. Federal agents also reported that this area was
on of the "wettest" in the country. (Crime and Punishments166)
Although speakeasies were illegal there were many benefits to those
who took the risks of ownership. A speakeasy could net its owner a
lot of money, but it also took money to make a profit. One of New
York's proprietors estimated his operation costs at abour $1370 per
month. Of this sum, $400 was graft money to Federal Prohibition
Agents, police officers, and the New York District Attorney. In
addition, the cop on the beat would get an extra $40 to turn his back
whenever beer was being delivered. The alternative to these payments
was to have an elaborate and expensive system for concealing the
evidence whenever there was a raid. At Manhatten's "21" Club there
were four alarm buttons at various points in the vestibules. If a
raid prevented one of them from being pushed, the doorman could reach
for another. There were also five separate liqour caches, reachable
only through secret doors, and the switches were instantly short
circuited whenever an alarm button was pressed. These safety features
were an expensive alternative to paying off public officials!
In addition to speakeasies, the American populus also came up with
innovative ways to circumvent the law. They used hip flasks, false
books, coconut shells, hot water bottles and garden hoses to
transport illegal liqour. People also stored the contraband in prams
with babies perched on top and in carpenter's aprons with big fat
pockets. One man was even caught hustling liqour over the border in
two boxes of eggs: He had drained the eggs of their original content
and refilled them with liqour.
Many average American's became criminals during the age of
Prohibition. They found innovative new ways to drink, produce and
transport liquor. Prohibition, truly a noble experiment in intent,
became a dismal failure for the populus did not support it nor did
the government adequaltely enforce it.
Source: "Crimes and Punishments." Time-Life Books
Alexandria, Virginia. 1991