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The Free State of Galveston: While America fell into depression, Galveston poured another round.
Manage episode 493727416 series 3464959
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Two Sicilian barbers built an empire of vice, transforming Galveston into the "Free State" where prohibition laws and moral restrictions held no power for decades.
• Texas and national prohibition in the 1920s created a black market for liquor, gambling and prostitution
• Galveston's position on the Gulf of Mexico made it ideal for smuggling and vice operations
• Sicilian immigrants Rose and Sam Maceo rose from barbers to powerful underworld figures
• The Hollywood Dinner Club (1926) and Balinese Room (1942) became world-renowned entertainment venues
• The Maceos maintained order, invested in the community, and kept Galveston economically thriving during the Depression
• The Texas Rangers finally ended the era in 1957 with a brilliant strategy—simply sitting in establishments every night for 2.5 years
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Chapters
1. The Free State of Galveston Begins (00:00:00)
2. Prohibition Creates Underground Opportunity (00:02:31)
3. The Maceo Brothers' Rise to Power (00:03:42)
4. Depression-Era Empire Expansion (00:05:36)
5. The Balinese Room and Galveston's Heyday (00:08:18)
6. Texas Rangers' Quiet Siege Ends Era (00:10:17)
137 episodes
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