Milwaukee is best known for its beer—and rightfully so. But in the days of Prohibition, the big alcohol suppliers were not Miller, Blatz, Schlitz, and Pabst. The Mafia had control, and it made its money by running alcohol as far away as Canada and Indiana, as well as with counterfeiting, the numbers racket, and two of the biggest heists in American history. While now considered extinct, the Milwaukee Family was once a dominant force in the Midwest. The sky was the limit, as the Mafia indulged in extortion, protection rackets, and skimming from Las Vegas casinos. The Cream City had its crooked lawyers, corrupt cops, and even a mayor on the take. Those who dared to stand in the syndicate’s way were found dead in ditches or as victims of car bombs. Mafia members included doctors, real estate men, restaurateurs, tavern owners, funeral directors, union presidents, and the most famous Milwaukee gangster of all, Frank Balistrieri.
Softcover, 6 x 9, 128 pgs.
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