King of the Bootleggers

I am learning so much about Cincinnati history by watching the documentary series Prohibition by Ken Burns on PBS. Tonight they aired the second episode and I was amazed at how much Cincinnati was at the center of bootlegging activities during prohibition in the United States. Much of this was due to it's location.
At the top of the bootlegging food chain was a man by the name of George Remus. Remus found loopholes in the law whereby he could buy distilleries and pharmacies to sell liquor to himself under government licenses for medicinal purposes. Remus would then hijack his own liquor so he could sell it illegally. Remus moved to Cincinnati where 80 percent of America's bonded whiskey was located, and bought up most of the whiskey manufacturers. In less than three years Remus made $40 million, with the help of his trusted number two man George Conners. He owned many of America's most famous distilleries, including the Fleischmann Distillery, which he bought for $197,000, a price which included 3,100 gallons of whiskey.
Remus was eventually arrested for bootlegging and spent two years in prison. While he was in prison, his wife began an affair with a prohibition agent. The two began to hide Remus' money and liquidate his assets. After his release from prison, Remus shot and killed his wife. He was acquitted of the charges on an insanity plea. Remus later moved to Covington, Kentucky right across the river from Cincinnati and lived a quiet life until his death.
You can learn more about the amazing rise and fall of Remus and Cincinnati's prohibition days at:
http://cincinnati.com/blogs/ourhistory/2011/08/01/king-of-the-bootleggers/
Thanks for being a part of my journey!