Meet New York’s Most Outrageous Prohibition Agents
They were successful, much to their boss’ dismay
In 1919, the 18th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. It outlawed the production and consumption of alcohol. The law was deeply unpopular with most of the country.
One of the reasons the amendment was pushed through was to appease the religious movement of the time. They believed that a dry country would foster better morals and less anger amongst people.
New York City residents were bitter at being told they couldn’t consume alcohol. Speakeasies sprang up around the city. And while New York Police officers were supposed to enforce the law, many turned a blind eye to what was going on in front of their faces.
Or they accepted bribes.
Officials grew frustrated with the growing number of people breaking the law. To that end, they decided to hire some new agents that would enforce the prohibition law and crack down on bootleggers.
One of the first men to apply was Isidor (Izzy) Einstein. Upon first glance, he was not what the agencies had in mind for law enforcement. He had no law enforcement experience, no training, and seemed to be an every man.
