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Outlaws of the Lakes: Bootlegging & Smuggling
What Great Lake was the hunting ground of a twentieth century pirate?
Where did Canada’s "King of the Bootleggers" end his days?
Who was the only man Al Capone ever truly feared? Since the earliest colonial times, the Great Lakes have been a smugglers’ highway. Together with the Upper St. Lawrence River, the Lakes have borne silent witness to trafficking of almost every commodity governments could tax or ban. Smugglers kept commerce alive in Canada in the early nineteenth century, contributed to the British-Canadian victory in the War of 1812, and carried escaped slaves to freedom in Canada in the decades before the American Civil War. They also corrupted government officials, terrorized honest citizens and committed acts of ruthless violence. A French bootlegger founded the city of Detroit in the eighteenth century. Two hundred years later, American and Canadian bootleggers supplied booze to the criminal empires of Al Capone, Dion O’Banion and the Purple Gang during the doomed experiment called Prohibition. Some became rich; others died with their boots on. Some were cut down by Coast Guard bullets; more were gunned down by rival bootleggers. All of them were brazen and ingenious (Rocco Perri had a front as a macaroni salesman) and they stopped at nothing. Whether they operated in defiance of unjust laws or out of pure greed, the smugglers and bootleggers of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River carved a legacy of violence and adventure, one that has had a profound impact upon the histories of Canada and the United States.
Where did Canada’s "King of the Bootleggers" end his days?
Who was the only man Al Capone ever truly feared? Since the earliest colonial times, the Great Lakes have been a smugglers’ highway. Together with the Upper St. Lawrence River, the Lakes have borne silent witness to trafficking of almost every commodity governments could tax or ban. Smugglers kept commerce alive in Canada in the early nineteenth century, contributed to the British-Canadian victory in the War of 1812, and carried escaped slaves to freedom in Canada in the decades before the American Civil War. They also corrupted government officials, terrorized honest citizens and committed acts of ruthless violence. A French bootlegger founded the city of Detroit in the eighteenth century. Two hundred years later, American and Canadian bootleggers supplied booze to the criminal empires of Al Capone, Dion O’Banion and the Purple Gang during the doomed experiment called Prohibition. Some became rich; others died with their boots on. Some were cut down by Coast Guard bullets; more were gunned down by rival bootleggers. All of them were brazen and ingenious (Rocco Perri had a front as a macaroni salesman) and they stopped at nothing. Whether they operated in defiance of unjust laws or out of pure greed, the smugglers and bootleggers of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River carved a legacy of violence and adventure, one that has had a profound impact upon the histories of Canada and the United States.
- GenresCrimeHistoryHistorical
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 22, 2021
Lots of interesting stories about the smugglers, bootleggers, and rum-runners of the Great Lakes region. The language is a bit dated, and I'd like to see an updated edition with more modern terms for enslaved Blacks and Native Americans.
January 28, 2008
The Great Lakes have served as a smuggler's freeway since Canada's infancy. In "Outlaws of the Lakes: Bootlegging and Smuggling", Canadian author Ed Butts tackles the subject of the illegal trade in booze and just about everything else banned or excessively taxed by the government. He also highlights its more infamous practitioners, such as Rocco Perri, Canada's Al Capone.
Butts has dicovered or deduced some eye-opening facts. He demonstrates that a French bootlegger was responsible for the founding of Detroit, and points out that smugglers made a valuable contribution to the British-Canadian victory during the War of 1812. Historic triumphs aside, Butts does not whitewash or glorify the vicious reality of the smuggler's daily life. These lake pirates killed each other, turned the legal system into a farce by bribing government officials, and created a legacy of violence and corruption that taints Canada to this day.
Butts has dicovered or deduced some eye-opening facts. He demonstrates that a French bootlegger was responsible for the founding of Detroit, and points out that smugglers made a valuable contribution to the British-Canadian victory during the War of 1812. Historic triumphs aside, Butts does not whitewash or glorify the vicious reality of the smuggler's daily life. These lake pirates killed each other, turned the legal system into a farce by bribing government officials, and created a legacy of violence and corruption that taints Canada to this day.
April 14, 2008
Fascinating look beyond the walls of the speakeasy's and into the far reaches of Canada and the vast Great Lakes region to see where the enemies of Prohibition really were. Ed takes the reader on a historical tour back to the War of 1812 and into the popular bootlegging era's notable to most. I was intrigued by many of the stories, especially "Lake Michigan's Pirate" and thought that he covered a wide range of topics that kept me interested throughout the book. Well written with proper illustrations and photographs!
October 23, 2007
This book was surprisingly good (especially the first three parts). It is not the kind of thing I normally read, but my dad bought it for me while the family was up north on vacation. It was well written and entertaining without being overly sensational (which is what I feared when I first flipped through the book to look at the pictures). I really enjoyed reading about Jennie Justo, who lived in the Greenbush neighborhood of Madison.
January 19, 2010
This book is awesome! I know they're villains, but I can't help but admire some of them for their gumption and the stuff they pulled makes for a great read. Regional history at its best.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews