Ed Helms

As he addressed the nation, the banner behind him was adorned with his campaign slogan, Happy Days Are Here Again. The American people had spoken. It was closing time on Prohibition. The drinkers in Congress rushed to pass the 21st Amendment.

As he addressed the nation, the banner behind him was adorned with his campaign slogan, Happy Days Are Here Again. The American people had spoken. It was closing time on Prohibition. The drinkers in Congress rushed to pass the 21st Amendment.

Bop the champagne, brewers could brew again, bars could serve again. And that means everything's going back to normal, right? Well, no. Prohibition had been an extremely violent mess. It had changed the American way of life. It hadn't stopped the drinking, but it had driven it underground, created black markets, destroyed legitimate businesses.

Bop the champagne, brewers could brew again, bars could serve again. And that means everything's going back to normal, right? Well, no. Prohibition had been an extremely violent mess. It had changed the American way of life. It hadn't stopped the drinking, but it had driven it underground, created black markets, destroyed legitimate businesses.

The pre-Prohibition saloons, those immigrant living rooms at the heart of working class neighborhoods, They never really came back. And of course, the real cost was in human lives. People, so many people, had been hurt and killed along the way. So you're probably wondering the same thing I'd been wondering the whole time. Was anyone actually going to answer for all of that?

The pre-Prohibition saloons, those immigrant living rooms at the heart of working class neighborhoods, They never really came back. And of course, the real cost was in human lives. People, so many people, had been hurt and killed along the way. So you're probably wondering the same thing I'd been wondering the whole time. Was anyone actually going to answer for all of that?

The boys in Washington already knew exactly who to pin the blame on. Mabel Walker Willebrandt. As time went on, they made her the figurehead of everything that went wrong with prohibition enforcement. During her time as Assistant Attorney General, she had been the face of the law, even swapping burns with Al Smith on the campaign trail, right?

The boys in Washington already knew exactly who to pin the blame on. Mabel Walker Willebrandt. As time went on, they made her the figurehead of everything that went wrong with prohibition enforcement. During her time as Assistant Attorney General, she had been the face of the law, even swapping burns with Al Smith on the campaign trail, right?

Not that we gotta feel sorry for her after everything she did. I mean, she gave a thumbs up to the KKK. You can't just brush right past that. But by pinning it all on her, they made Mabel a scapegoat for the worst abuses of the Prohibition Bureau. All of the blood spilled. The whole pile of corpses. They got dumped at Mabel's feet. Prohibition Portia. Her fault.

Not that we gotta feel sorry for her after everything she did. I mean, she gave a thumbs up to the KKK. You can't just brush right past that. But by pinning it all on her, they made Mabel a scapegoat for the worst abuses of the Prohibition Bureau. All of the blood spilled. The whole pile of corpses. They got dumped at Mabel's feet. Prohibition Portia. Her fault.

By making Mabel Walker Willebrandt the fall gal, everybody else got off scot-free. Take Duran himself. He weaseled out of accountability for the way he ran the Prohibition Bureau and covered up for Congress. Then he stepped down as commissioner in 1930 and went back behind the scenes. His behind-the-scenes position was, drumroll please, Commissioner of Industrial Alcohol.

By making Mabel Walker Willebrandt the fall gal, everybody else got off scot-free. Take Duran himself. He weaseled out of accountability for the way he ran the Prohibition Bureau and covered up for Congress. Then he stepped down as commissioner in 1930 and went back behind the scenes. His behind-the-scenes position was, drumroll please, Commissioner of Industrial Alcohol.

Remember how the Prohibition Bureau got shifted over to the Department of Justice once Mabel was gone? Well, it was part of a big show by Congress to make it look like they were really changing things now. They passed the Prohibition Reorganization Act.

Remember how the Prohibition Bureau got shifted over to the Department of Justice once Mabel was gone? Well, it was part of a big show by Congress to make it look like they were really changing things now. They passed the Prohibition Reorganization Act.

Not only did it send Prohibition Policing over to the DOJ, but in its place, the Treasury established a new bureau, the Bureau of Industrial Alcohol. Duran was the new bureau's first employee. Once a commissioner, always a commissioner, I guess. In other words, with Duran having burned Cassidy's black book, essentially covering Congress's ass, none of those guys were going to come after Duran.

Not only did it send Prohibition Policing over to the DOJ, but in its place, the Treasury established a new bureau, the Bureau of Industrial Alcohol. Duran was the new bureau's first employee. Once a commissioner, always a commissioner, I guess. In other words, with Duran having burned Cassidy's black book, essentially covering Congress's ass, none of those guys were going to come after Duran.

But one year into the new job that's definitely not the same as the old job, Duran published his first annual report. It's big news. He's finally reversing course on the whole denaturing thing.

But one year into the new job that's definitely not the same as the old job, Duran published his first annual report. It's big news. He's finally reversing course on the whole denaturing thing.

And sadly, that's as close as we get to an admission. It's like, yeah, the wood alcohol we were using was bad. It killed people, but we're stopping all that. And oh, look, check it out. It turns out we can actually come up with a non-toxic way of denaturing industrial alcohol. Who knew? Not sure I really trust the guy after, you know, everything. And now he's got to pass.

And sadly, that's as close as we get to an admission. It's like, yeah, the wood alcohol we were using was bad. It killed people, but we're stopping all that. And oh, look, check it out. It turns out we can actually come up with a non-toxic way of denaturing industrial alcohol. Who knew? Not sure I really trust the guy after, you know, everything. And now he's got to pass.