The Case:
Kevin O’Connell fondly recalls spending time as a kid with his wealthy Great Uncle Mike in his grand New York City apartment. Sifting through a box of his Uncle Mike’s books Kevin came across a small, leather-bound journal. When he opened the book, Kevin was startled to find hand-written instructions for making large quantities of popular liquors such as gin, whisky, and rum.
No one in the family has seen this notebook. Why would Uncle Mike, who had a successful paving business, have a book like this? Kevin now wonders if maybe his uncle earned his money as a Prohibition era bootlegger. Kevin asks History Detectives host Elyse Luray to find the facts behind this mysterious journal.
More Information
New York Distilling Company
405 Leonard Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222
www.nydistilling.com/
Raines Law Room
48 West 17th Street
New York City, NY
www.raineslawroom.com
Bootlegger's Recipes
Take a closer look at some of the recipes from the Bootlegger's Notebook.
Courtesy of Kevin O'Connell
Related Links
Explore
-
Also in Emerging Modern America: 1890-1930
Navajo Rug
Why would a weaver depart from tradition to make this rug?
-
Also with Elyse Luray
Drone Propellor
Could this propellor have powered a top secret weapon that transformed modern warfare?
-
Also in Emerging Modern America: 1890-1930
Birth Control Box
Could this unusual wooden box be an early contraceptive device?
-
Also in Emerging Modern America: 1890-1930
Connecticut Farmhouse
Why did this Connecticut farmhouse have so many owners in such a short space of time?
-
Also with Elyse Luray
Civil War Bridge
Has a new discovery rewritten Civil War history?
-
Also with Elyse Luray
Galleon Shipwreck
Is this a piece of treasure from a Spanish galleon washed up on an Oregon beach?
Comments
This is a place for opinions, comments, questions and discussion; a place where viewers of History Detectives can express their points of view and connect with others who value history. We ask that posters be polite and respectful of all opinions. History Detectives reserves the right to delete comments that don’t conform to this conduct. We will not respond to every post, but will do our best to answer specific questions, or address an error.