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Wicked Albany: Lawlessness and Liquor in the Prohibition Era
Albany, New York, experienced massive upheaval when the Volstead Act of 1919 established Prohibition. Crime already proliferated in the capital of the Empire State, with rival political machines stooping to corruption and the mob with their heavy-handed powers of persuasion. As it did nationwide, Prohibition in Albany served merely to force alcohol-related commerce underground and lawlessness and violence to the forefront of city activity.
Professor Frankie Bailey and noted sociologist and criminal justice activist Alice Green chronicle this evolution of iniquity in Albany, relying on archival records and examining the greater social impact of the city’s moral dissolution. Whether you’re looking for sociological analysis or pure guilty pleasure, you’ll find it in Wicked Albany.
Professor Frankie Bailey and noted sociologist and criminal justice activist Alice Green chronicle this evolution of iniquity in Albany, relying on archival records and examining the greater social impact of the city’s moral dissolution. Whether you’re looking for sociological analysis or pure guilty pleasure, you’ll find it in Wicked Albany.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
121 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2009
About the author
Frankie Y. Bailey
34 books69 followersWhere did you grow up?
I grew up in the country (now suburbs) about five miles outside Danville, Virginia, the "Last Capital of the Confederacy," also famous as "the bright leaf tobacco market of the world" and the home of Dan River Cotton Mills. As you might imagine, Southern history and tradition played important roles in my upbringing. The first history book I remember reading in school was about Virginia history not U.S. The first speech I ever memorized was Patrick Henry's fiery "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" - which I later recalled with some irony when I learned the truth about the founding fathers and slavery. However, I am still a proud Virginian.
I was the oldest of two children, one girl and one boy. My parents were Danville natives. When I was a child, my maternal grandmother lived with us and provided supervision while my parents were at work. My mother came from a large family, so I had a bunch of aunts, uncles, and cousins on her side. Some of my favorite family photos were taken at my Uncle Jimmy's house when we all gathered there on Christmas evening. My father was an only child. His father was a farmer, and even though my father worked in Dan River Mills all his life, in summers he lived for his garden and sold what he grew. (But it has still taken me years and years to learn to love collard greens. Corn bread, yes. Collard greens only recently.)
As the oldest child, I learned to be properly bossy when dealing with my younger brother. Now that we're both grown-ups (most of the time), we are able to carry on intelligent conversations and even view each other with some affection. But, as he will tell you, the nickname that I gave him when he was a toddler - and that nobody else in the world calls him - still automatically pops out of my mouth. Luckily, his wife has figured out who I mean when I call and ask to speak to "Head."
Enough about family. When did you start to write?
I don't remember when I didn't write. I was a shy child, and it was one of those things that I could do alone. In my teens, I discovered mysteries and wrote my first fan letter to a writer -- Richard Martin Stern -- who thrilled me to my toes by writing back. I even persuaded my parents to sign me up for the Famous Writers course on short stories. I never finished the course, but I did read the books they sent me on writing. I even have my graded short stories stashed away somewhere.
My "career" as a mystery writer didn't begin until after I had attended Virginia Tech. Go Hokies!!! At Tech, I started out intending to be a veterinarian, but ended up with a double major in Psychology and English. It was while I was living in Seattle and serving in the U.S. Army as a food inspector, that I began to write fiction again. My first book was a romantic suspense novel. The second was a mystery. Both went into my desk drawer, but I still have the drafts (badly typed and covered in red ink). My third book was non-fiction, and I wrote it after I had finally finished my dissertation in criminal justice a U Albany. The research for that third book, Out of the Woodpile: Black Characters in Crime and Detective Fiction, led me to mystery workshops and conferences. I begin to think again about writing mysteries. When I moved from Frankfort, Kentucky, where I was teaching, back to Albany, I joined a writing group. That was when I began to make a serious effort to write a mystery that I hoped might eventually be published.
What else do you do for fun?
Read, travel - travel every chance I get - go to movies, see friends, plan my dream house...all the usual stuff. One of these days, I intend to learn French and actually get that black belt I've always wanted in karate (if only I can find the discipline to start lessons again and this time stick with it).
I grew up in the country (now suburbs) about five miles outside Danville, Virginia, the "Last Capital of the Confederacy," also famous as "the bright leaf tobacco market of the world" and the home of Dan River Cotton Mills. As you might imagine, Southern history and tradition played important roles in my upbringing. The first history book I remember reading in school was about Virginia history not U.S. The first speech I ever memorized was Patrick Henry's fiery "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" - which I later recalled with some irony when I learned the truth about the founding fathers and slavery. However, I am still a proud Virginian.
I was the oldest of two children, one girl and one boy. My parents were Danville natives. When I was a child, my maternal grandmother lived with us and provided supervision while my parents were at work. My mother came from a large family, so I had a bunch of aunts, uncles, and cousins on her side. Some of my favorite family photos were taken at my Uncle Jimmy's house when we all gathered there on Christmas evening. My father was an only child. His father was a farmer, and even though my father worked in Dan River Mills all his life, in summers he lived for his garden and sold what he grew. (But it has still taken me years and years to learn to love collard greens. Corn bread, yes. Collard greens only recently.)
As the oldest child, I learned to be properly bossy when dealing with my younger brother. Now that we're both grown-ups (most of the time), we are able to carry on intelligent conversations and even view each other with some affection. But, as he will tell you, the nickname that I gave him when he was a toddler - and that nobody else in the world calls him - still automatically pops out of my mouth. Luckily, his wife has figured out who I mean when I call and ask to speak to "Head."
Enough about family. When did you start to write?
I don't remember when I didn't write. I was a shy child, and it was one of those things that I could do alone. In my teens, I discovered mysteries and wrote my first fan letter to a writer -- Richard Martin Stern -- who thrilled me to my toes by writing back. I even persuaded my parents to sign me up for the Famous Writers course on short stories. I never finished the course, but I did read the books they sent me on writing. I even have my graded short stories stashed away somewhere.
My "career" as a mystery writer didn't begin until after I had attended Virginia Tech. Go Hokies!!! At Tech, I started out intending to be a veterinarian, but ended up with a double major in Psychology and English. It was while I was living in Seattle and serving in the U.S. Army as a food inspector, that I began to write fiction again. My first book was a romantic suspense novel. The second was a mystery. Both went into my desk drawer, but I still have the drafts (badly typed and covered in red ink). My third book was non-fiction, and I wrote it after I had finally finished my dissertation in criminal justice a U Albany. The research for that third book, Out of the Woodpile: Black Characters in Crime and Detective Fiction, led me to mystery workshops and conferences. I begin to think again about writing mysteries. When I moved from Frankfort, Kentucky, where I was teaching, back to Albany, I joined a writing group. That was when I began to make a serious effort to write a mystery that I hoped might eventually be published.
What else do you do for fun?
Read, travel - travel every chance I get - go to movies, see friends, plan my dream house...all the usual stuff. One of these days, I intend to learn French and actually get that black belt I've always wanted in karate (if only I can find the discipline to start lessons again and this time stick with it).
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 10, 2019
A fine book, well-sourced; I enjoyed reading it. There were gangsters, political intrigue, and striking workers. Gangsters aren't known for keeping diaries, it would have been nice if some of them did.
The streetcar workers were out on strike. There was a wave of kidnappings, one involving the son of a political boss. Reading this book made me curious to know what happened to Legs Diamond's mistress.
There was a lot going on in Albany during Prohibition. It was a slim volume. I wish there could have been a little more ground covered. That might be impossible to do in a book format. The author did a decent job of exploring this particular time in Albany's history.
The streetcar workers were out on strike. There was a wave of kidnappings, one involving the son of a political boss. Reading this book made me curious to know what happened to Legs Diamond's mistress.
There was a lot going on in Albany during Prohibition. It was a slim volume. I wish there could have been a little more ground covered. That might be impossible to do in a book format. The author did a decent job of exploring this particular time in Albany's history.
February 3, 2026
In 1919, the United States Congress ratified the 18th Amendment, which outlawed the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors. This so-called "Prohibition" criminalized the behavior of otherwise law-abiding members of the community. Its enforcement was often arbitrary and used by the elite to consolidate power and target political opponents. Prohibition was repealed in 1933 by the 21st Amendment, and thankfully there are no longer any laws like this in the United States.
September 7, 2026
Albany has such a cool history
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews