Marky stands up onto an orange crate in the middle of the road to begin a speech.

"I walk around the business district a lot, and I look at all of the nice shoppes around the area. Hotels, restraunts, clubs, and all the other good stuff. There is, however, one thing that I was wondering.

Bars. How do they do it? The prohibition is strongly enforced? How are we so powerful as to be able to keep every cop at bay from the bars? I get jailed for sippin' some scotch, yet these young businessmen are free to push thousands of gallons of alcohol from person to person, and they openly announce it! Are these people invincible?"

Marky looks down the street and three cops walking around. He then notices the bottle of moonshine in his hands, drops it, and runs.

Fear and money are the key. The police cheifs around these parts are well payed up, and ordinary officers of the law are to scared to do anything about it. They will either be killed off, or fired. Money is hard to come by around these parts, especially for the ordinary 'straight' working guy.

If people fear you. They are controllable like puppets.
Strike fear into their hearts, and the battle with the enemy is won.

Also, most police men enjoy a few drinks themselves. So if they are your customers they tend to not bother you so much.

Of course that now and then you must fill some pockets or even hide the bottles after your pal in the force warns about a blitz.

But, nevertheless, it's a very profitable business.

And shh... Don't let the pigs know about our schemes.

Pigs!?!? Pigs run the police force?!?!? It's the end of the world!

Why would a cop want to shut down his favorite gin joint?

Those in charge are paid off, those on the streets think it's a stupid law and if any Dudly-do-rights decide to show up, it's taken care of on a case by case basis.

How did you come with this idea, M_Cicci? You must be losing your mind!


What I said about the pigs was because these animals love alcohol and with the law they do not have it too often. So if they get to know we have it they will fill all our places and ruin the business!

Walks upto the crowd and listens

It's quite simple. The people owning a business in St. Louis are under the protection of the St. Louis Partnership. And with protection I mean allowing to cops to blaze themselves retarted in our local pub. Easy as hell and after they are stoned out of their mind they wont be able to write a ticket or report about anything illegal

I understand Marky's point though, despite all the bribing of cops and serving them drink etc, there are Federal agents and cops who can't be bought. The majority of Clubs in this time are underground. Passwords needed to get in, hidden in cellars, that sort of thing. Usually well soundproofed too so the cops on the street can't hear the party going on. However in the 8 mob comntrolled cities, Bars, pubs, clubs, resturants and hotels openly sell alcohol.

Blagger stops to take a haul on the cigar in his hand and blows the smoke from his nostrils as he inhales.

i can understand the cops turning a blind eye to what isn't in the public view, but with all these businesses openly selling hooch and flaunting prohibition laws it is a wonder that the Federal government hasn't sent a task force in to wipe us all out. Any idea how many millions it would cost each week to cover up the open breach of federal law in even a small city like St Louis? You'd have to bribe the cops, then the feds, then the DA's office, then the city and stae officials, then the politicians, then the senators, and to top it all off you'd have to bribe the media too to stop them reporting how bad things are. Its one of the reasons I limit my drinking to two places, my apartment, and the secret bar hidden in the depths of my families HQ. I really don't feel like being busted by the cops or Feds who see my Mafia ass hanging out in an illegal speakeasy in the middle of the street.

Marky thinks over what everyone has said.

"First, as Blagger said, there is always at least one non-corrupt worker in a job. Second, what is a speak-easy?"

A speakeasy is an establishment where mafiosi like you and me can order drinks during the great prohibition. I am not sure if this is true however a bartender explained me once that the name comes from the way bartenders addresses their customers. They tell them to be quiet and speak easy.

As for the non-corrupt worker, I've learned something. I am not saying I am doing this myself, however some people say it's best to tell the other corrupt workers to keep an eye on non-corrupt workers or they will lose their payments. It's strange how honest hard-working men who take a bit on the side become violent and almost a real thug.

Don't quote me on this, but I had heard the name speak-easy came from the fact the members could speak about some less than legal topics without fear of law enforcement or snitches coming down on them. Thus it was less worrysome, and they could speak easier, knowing their words were safe at the moment.

Like I said, don't quote me. I have been known to hang around some less than honest people.

I guess that sounds just about right.