Ed Helms

Did Duran sneak into their offices and drip methanol into their whiskeys? Well, of course not, but at least they cracked down on them, right? Not a chance. In fact, they did the exact opposite. Every photocopied record of Cassidy's client list was tossed into a fire and burned. If George Cassidy got the treatment of a king, then the members of Congress were, I don't know, emperors?

Did Duran sneak into their offices and drip methanol into their whiskeys? Well, of course not, but at least they cracked down on them, right? Not a chance. In fact, they did the exact opposite. Every photocopied record of Cassidy's client list was tossed into a fire and burned. If George Cassidy got the treatment of a king, then the members of Congress were, I don't know, emperors?

The point is, even when it's clear an emperor has no clothes, in the American old boy crony system, he can always count on a James Duran to cover his ass. After the 1930s midterms, Prohibition was really on the ropes. Alexander Gettler and Charles Norris have spelled out the failures of the Prohibition Bureau's denaturing program.

The point is, even when it's clear an emperor has no clothes, in the American old boy crony system, he can always count on a James Duran to cover his ass. After the 1930s midterms, Prohibition was really on the ropes. Alexander Gettler and Charles Norris have spelled out the failures of the Prohibition Bureau's denaturing program.

Cassidy exposed the dry politicians for what they were, hypocrites getting sloshed. James Duran's crew, having failed miserably in their poisoning campaign, were totally flailing.

Cassidy exposed the dry politicians for what they were, hypocrites getting sloshed. James Duran's crew, having failed miserably in their poisoning campaign, were totally flailing.

In 1931, Duran's chemists rolled out another new formula for denaturing alcohol.

In 1931, Duran's chemists rolled out another new formula for denaturing alcohol.

It was like the government's heart just wasn't in the whole mass poisoning thing anymore. There were no more incendiary newspaper stories about new deadly formulas. Prohibition Bureau officials, the Treasury Department, they all simply quit talking about it.

It was like the government's heart just wasn't in the whole mass poisoning thing anymore. There were no more incendiary newspaper stories about new deadly formulas. Prohibition Bureau officials, the Treasury Department, they all simply quit talking about it.

They started quietly backing away from the crime scene with a nothing to see here shrug, as if the killing of thousands of Americans never happened. Debra spent years combing through reports from newspapers, medical examiners, insurance companies, and coroner offices, and came to her best estimate on the final body count.

They started quietly backing away from the crime scene with a nothing to see here shrug, as if the killing of thousands of Americans never happened. Debra spent years combing through reports from newspapers, medical examiners, insurance companies, and coroner offices, and came to her best estimate on the final body count.

In the early 1930s, support for the dry cause crumbled. The violence of liquor raids played a part. If you're keeping track, that's Richard Hart and the other agents like him. Corruption at every level of enforcement played a part, too. Big thanks to George Cassidy for dragging that one out into the open. And the outrage over the poisoning scheme?

In the early 1930s, support for the dry cause crumbled. The violence of liquor raids played a part. If you're keeping track, that's Richard Hart and the other agents like him. Corruption at every level of enforcement played a part, too. Big thanks to George Cassidy for dragging that one out into the open. And the outrage over the poisoning scheme?

That was a body blow to the support for Prohibition. Gettler's research and Norris's essay exposed just how callous, how morally indefensible Prohibition enforcement had become. By the time 1932 rolled around, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Democratic candidate for president, declared that if elected, on day one of his presidency, taps were going to be wide open once again.

That was a body blow to the support for Prohibition. Gettler's research and Norris's essay exposed just how callous, how morally indefensible Prohibition enforcement had become. By the time 1932 rolled around, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Democratic candidate for president, declared that if elected, on day one of his presidency, taps were going to be wide open once again.

You hear that one guy hollering? I love that guy. If my beer mug had been sitting empty in the cabinet for 10 years, yeah, I'd be voting for that too.

You hear that one guy hollering? I love that guy. If my beer mug had been sitting empty in the cabinet for 10 years, yeah, I'd be voting for that too.

On election night, 1932, Roosevelt won in a landslide.

On election night, 1932, Roosevelt won in a landslide.