Comments on: Joe Kennedy…bootlegger?

By: Susan B.

Susan B. — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:14:56 +0000

I loved “Last Call”! I work in a bookstore and it was one of my favorites to “hand sell”. Lot’s of really interesting and surprising information. My husband is reading it now, and I think that all that information has enhanced our enjoyment of the new “Boardwalk Empire” series on HBO. One of my favorite periods in American history.

By: Thomas Maier

Thomas Maier — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 00:34:20 +0000

I enjoyed Dan Okrent’s column about Joe Kennedy and the persistent rumors about bootlegging. In writing my own history about the family (“The Kennedys: America’s Emerald Kings”, Basic Books, 2003, updated in 2008), I also did some digging into these rumors but, if you’ll excuse the pun, came up dry. We should keep in mind that not all of Joe Kennedy financial records are still in existence, as his granddaughter Amanda Smith notes in her fine book based on his correspondence (“Hostage to Fortune”). Despite the bootlegging rumors that people repeat with utter certainty (along with other nonsense like a “Kennedy curse”), no information I could find indicated that Joe Kennedy had been involved in bootlegging during Prohibition. I salute Mr. Okrent for trying!

By: Blogroll revision

Blogroll revision — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:42:21 +0000

[...] Okrent (former public editor of the New York Times and, incidentally, a fellow UM grad) about whether Joe Kennedy was a bootlegger, Marla Miller, about the real Betsy Ross, Donald Haase, about the reevaluation of Grimms’ [...]

By: Editor

Editor — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 02:55:19 +0000

The best readers ever; thanks so much for continuing to read! The winners of this book are: Lindsey, librarypat, and Sheri!

By: JB

JB — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:47:28 +0000

While living in Scotland, I became interested in the history of whiskey production and the events that have lead to the globalization of its distribution. I’ve heard various stories about Kennedy’s involvement with this and I’m looking forward to reading a researched historical account of his dealings in the liquor industry/trade.

By: Jessica B

Jessica B — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:48:16 +0000

Prohibition is one of my favorite areas of research and I’m always hungry to read more on the subject. I grew up in the Detroit area and always loved hearing the stories about gangs running hoses of booze through the river between Detroit and Windsor. You have to give them credit for creativity! Looking forward to reading this book!

By: Kathy Petersen

Kathy Petersen — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:24:55 +0000

St. Louis, my family’s home for generations, is home to one of the most famous breweries in the world. Anheuser-Busch made it through Prohibition and is still flourishing (under a new corporation, alas). So our local Prohibition stories are rife with legend. I’d very much like to read about others.

By: Lisa Jensen

Lisa Jensen — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 05:30:12 +0000

Book looks very interesting, and fun to read! I can say “fun” in this forum, because we are all history geeks here. I believe your research on Joe Kennedy, but I agree that old rumors die hard. Please enter my name in the drawing for Last Call. PS– In my earlier life, I was a bartender (third generation). Just felt like sharing that.

By: Sheri Knauth

Sheri Knauth — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 02:14:35 +0000

The last call is always FREEBIRD in NY bars. Strange to think that the responsibility, privilige and right to drink was once not a FREEdom. I look forward to reading this book.
Sheri;)

By: librarypat

librarypat — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 02:09:04 +0000

I won’t argue with you about Kennedy. You have done some good research. I’ll be interested in reading this book. We lived in NE New York about 65 miles south of Montreal, Canada. The rumrunners did the New York City run through our area. It was a straight shot down along Lake Champlain, through Albany, to the City. I believe my grandfather was one of them. There was talk we overheard when we were kids, but the adults wouldn’t discuss it much. They did comment once that he ditched a car in the lake once when he was being chased.
Good luck with the release of LAST CALL. It sounds like it will be an interesting read.