Little Harry’s Speakeasy
The good people of Michigan were given a head start over the rest of the country imposing legally enforced prohibition of alcohol on their fellow citizens. Prohibition in Michigan began in 1917. Given its proximity to Canada, especially at Detroit where the bars, breweries, and distilleries were just across the river, it was always an iffy proposition enforcing complete temperance. Rival gangs quickly positioned themselves for dominance in the bootlegging trade, and the notorious group known as the Purple Gang achieved prominence.
The Purple Gang became strong enough to not only control the illegal market in Detroit but to occupy the role as a prime supplier of smuggled liquor to Al Capone’s Chicago Gang. Some scholars believe that up to 75% of all the illegal liquor smuggled into the United States during Prohibition crossed the Detroit River under the control of the Purple Gang.
All that activity was hard work, and even smugglers needed a place to unwind and perhaps consume some of their illicit products. Little Harry’s was a speakeasy where members of the Purple Gang could relax. It was located, according to recent excavations and research, at 624 3rd Street in Detroit, today the site of Tommy’s Bar.
Little Harry’s was in the basement of the building. It could be reached through an underground tunnel which may or may not have traversed a neighboring building. From there a staircase led below ground to a large room richly paneled in wood. Upon reaching the room entry was allowed after the presentation of a guest card; no card no entry.
The name “Little Harry’s” likely came from a man by the name of Harry Weitzman, who became the owner of the business above the bar in 1927 or thereabouts. That business remained open during Prohibition by selling soft drinks and avoiding any conflict with the law while keeping an eye on the less savory transactions occurring below. Weitzman had several business dealings with the Purple Gang before, during, and after Prohibition, and may have been placed in an ownership position of the legitimate business as a front by members of the Gang. Access to the false room below Tommy’s Bar is now bricked in, but portions of the tunnel remain as a reminder of the days when thirsty scofflaws went downstairs in search of an illegal libation.