6. Soapy married in Denver, and kept his wife out of his business
Jefferson Randolph Smith married Mary Noonan in Denver, and like a famous fictional criminal mastermind of a later day, told her to never ask him about his business. They eventually had three children together, resided in a respectable neighborhood, and she was active in church affairs and Denver society, for a time. To protect his family, and to convince local authorities to look the other way, Soapy made it a point to exempt residents of the city from his illegal activities. His army of “steerers” were directed to target visitors to the city, who arrived literally by the trainload, and left the local population alone.
Besides the Tivoli Club, Soapy operated several other establishments where various bunco activities were practiced. To maintain his growing empire, he established an office in downtown Denver not far from the train station, on the corner of Larimer and 17th Street. He recruited his younger brother, Bascomb Smith, to run a cigar store which offered rigged card games along with tobacco, and served as a front for other scams. To his wife, Soapy was a successful local businessman who went to his office each day. Few of his associates knew he was married. His largesse with the public and the police protected his reputation. His wealth continued to grow exponentially. It was a grand time.