Matthew R Linderoth

Prohibition on the North Jersey Shore Matthew R Linderoth

North Jersey Shore towns such as Long Branch, Ocean Grove, Red Bank and Atlantic Highlands began as quiet retreats for pious New Yorkers wishing to escape the vice and crime of the city. However, with the passage of Prohibition in 1919, the region became a haven for criminals who began smuggling liquor through the serene seaside. Speakeasies sprang up on virtually every corner, as gangsters like Vito Genovese, Charles Luciano and Meyer Lansky ruled this brutal underworld, taking advantage of the criminal opportunity of a lifetime. The police and politicians were in their pockets, while civilians were caught in the crossfire of gun battles between rival syndicates. Discover the true drama that captured the Jersey Shore during Prohibition.