BRICK TOWNSHIP — Explorer Steve Nagiewicz’s chance to find an unknown shipwreck off the New Jersey coast led to a more intriguing discovery, evidence of shady business that thrived when alcohol was illegal.
Join the Ocean County Library’s Brick branch for “Rumrunners, Prohibition and the Rise of the Mob” at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
Nagiewicz, a maritime historian, uncovered signs of rumrunner tugboats that quietly trafficked in “bootleg” alcohol off the Jersey Shore after the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the U.S Constitution, which established the prohibition of alcohol.
The ban followed the first great pandemic of 1918-19 and ushered in the Roaring ‘20s, speakeasies, “The Great Gatsby,” and notorious underworld figures who profited by skirting the law.
According to the library, Nagiewicz’s presentation will bring the turbulent times to vivid clarity.
As a registered professional archaeologist and scuba diver, Nagiewicz has logged thousands of dives worldwide in his 40-year career.
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