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Rumrunners, Prohibition, and the Rise of the Mob

Steve Nagiewicz, a registered professional archaeologist and scuba diver, discusses the Prohibition-Era shipwreck he discovered many years ago.

The chance find of a deep offshore shipwreck was the beginning of a fascinating trail for maritime explorer Steve Nagiewicz. It led him to evidence of rumrunner tugboats that quietly trafficked in "bootleg" alcohol off the New Jersey coast after the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which established the prohibition of alcohol. The Prohibition Era followed the first great pandemic of 1918-19 and ushered in the Roaring '20s, speakeasies, The Great Gatsby, and the rise of shady underworld figures who profited from this ban. Coincidence?

A registered professional archaeologist and scuba diver, Steve Nagiewicz has logged thousands of dives worldwide in his 40-year career. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, a former Executive Director of the Explorers Club and a former manager of the State of New Jersey's Maritime Science Laboratory at Sandy Hook. The licensed ship Master and Marine Science adjunct professor at Stockton University is the author of five books and numerous articles about maritime heritage and shipwrecks. He has appeared on National Geographic, Discovery+, the Science Channel and PBS and is a frequent contributor to local and national news reports.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Brick Library.

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