Gangsters Meet St. Paul’s Thirst
Prohibition wasn’t universally embraced. O’Connor and other police officials found it was hard to enforce laws that so many of the population refused to accept. People wanting a drink either had to find a black market supplier or make it themselves, creating their own moonshine in unregulated stills. But it was easier to find a “supplier” who would be able to provide it, and the gangsters of the era were happy to oblige. The O’Connor system attracted these bootleggers to St. Paul. The market still existed, since alcohol was unwillingly whisked out of consumer hands, and gangsters could fill the void. According to St. Paul historian Paul Maccabee, everyone, from the criminals to the police, to the law-abiding citizens, knew the police were turning a blind eye. The city was “dry” according to the federal government, but under the surface, it was very ‘wet.’