Sister Aimee was a popular evangelistic minister in the early 20th century. She had risen from obscurity to build a large following across the United States through both her hypnotic preaching and her use of cutting edge communications of the day. Her radio station KFSG sent her message farther than her tent revivals ever could. […]
Tag: 1920’s
The Loony Gas Building
In 1924, five men dropped dead in New Jersey. Not altogether a strange occurrence, but it led to the discovery of a case of industrial poisoning. The bodies were taken to the New York medical examiner’s office to be studied by our old friend, Chuck Norris. This Chuck Norris, as you know from a previous […]
Lucy the bootlegging elephant
Just a short piece today outlining one of the oddities of prohibition. Atlantic City was ground zero for prohibition and the thwarting of it. Prohibition prohibited the production, transfer and sale of alcohol, not the consumption of it. So, if you could get it into the country, you could drink it without violating the law. […]
Chuck Norris and Prohibition
No Virginia, I do not mean Chuck Norris the martial arts expert. I am referring to Dr. Charles Norris of Hoboken, NJ who grew up to be New York City’s first medical examiner. Working with toxicologist Dr. Alexander Gettler, the two revolutionized the science of forensic pathology. You can thank them for every CSI show […]
St. Valentine’s Day Massacre
In what is now a parking lot in North Chicago, Illinois was once a garage that became infamous for the bloodiest day in mob history.A bit of back story to set the scene.1920s Chicago was a place filled to the brim with gangsters, violence, murder, prostitution, bootlegging and police corruption. The city was split up […]