The booze racket then meant millions.
Murder was necessary to control the booze empire.
When murder was needed and there is
money to be paid for the deed; men will be found to do it - for a price.
It was several years after 1920 before
the number of killings reached the proportion of a national scandal.
That was because in the beginning the booze business fell into the hands
of stable, long established gangs.
Leading the way was Chicago. Chicago's
first boss was Big Jim Colosimo. Big Jim had found a way to make 10
gallons of whisky out of one gallon, at almost no expense.
In 1920, that was a stupendous thing
. A case cost $60 wholesale. It could be sold for more than $600 when
cut. If a man could obtain a hundred cases a week from his East Coast
Canadian supplier, and if the thing was properly organized, he might
obtain even more profit.
If this was worked right all the hot
money in Chi-Town was his for the taking. Colosimo was killed. Some
smart guy wanted to control that formula. Few Chicago hoodlums knew
about this formula. But, certainly Johnny Torrio knew about it and certainly
Al Capone knew about it. They were
smart guys from the navy gang in Brooklyn.
The times cried for smugglers and Kent
County answered the call. Richibucto capitalized on the rum in a big
way. Dealing with suppliers like Moraze and Legasse in St. Pierre; they
managed to save many Americans from parched throats. "HAND BRAND" alcohol,
made in Germany, became the staple line of their business supplies.
The little 2 1/2 gallon cans rolled by boats from the Island of St.
Pierre into Kent County and went south by cars. One of the fastest boats
used in the rum trade was the "FLYER" Built by Arthur Maillet at Jimmy
LeGoff's Ship Yard (now owned by Elmo Robichaud) in Richibucto in 1927,
she used three V-12 engines. «picture»
She was launched near where Leo Johnson
now lives.
After the first run, she had to be brought
back and the middle motor placed slightly ahead of the other two in
order to keep her from flipping backward. She had a top speed of 70
m.p.h. and could make it from the wharf in Richibucto to the breakwater
in less than 5 minutes. These boats
at night were sometimes covered with black velvet and this reflected
no light. These smooth running streaks of night wind could pass right
under the cutter's lights and remain undetected. The Flyer exploded
off our breakwater in 1931. One of the crew Bob Long, was blown clear
during the explosion and swam through the burning gas filled water and
he rescued all the other crew members.