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The "Daddy" of all Moonshiners
As Charlie Wall was the Bolita Czar of Tampa, William Flynn was considered the "Daddy" of the early Moonshiners. Flynn had a three still operation that furnished much of West Tampa. On October 14, 1920 Federal agents (nicknamed "rev-enoo-ers" by moonshiners) raided his illegal distillery operations, destroying them, leaving a void that was quickly filled by his "moonshine" competitors.

Rum Runners Bring a little taste of the Islands to Tampa
As mentioned in last week's NCPCR, the quality of "moonshine" could vary dramatically--to such a point that if made improperly, could seriously sicken or even kill. Tampa residents longing for higher quality alcohol began to look to our neighbors to the south, mainly the Caribbean, for an alternative source of that "devil alcohol".

Nassau, a Bahamian island of great poverty, experienced an economic boom during Prohibition as wealthy American financiers underwrote illegal smuggling operations to bring rum into an alcohol-deprived United States. Rum was brought into the country by schooners whose captains interspersed the contraband amongst the more legal and innocent freight in the ships cargo holds in order to make identification and detection by boarding American customs agents as difficult as possible. An even more ingenious disguising method was to submerge and chain the liquor beneath the schooner's keel, hauling it up to the surface when the goods were to be delivered to the client. It could also be cut loose, causing the bottles of rum to float to the surface of the water in order to be hauled away by smaller boats to the Florida mainland.

This Looks Like a Good Place to Set Anchor
Rum running schooners would generally set anchor twelve miles off the Florida coast in international waters to be met by a fleet of motorboats that would run the imported alcohol to the Tampa shorelines. A "Key Man" operated these fleets who was a representative of local gangland bosses or legitimate businessmen. The "Key Man" not only orchestrated the small flotillas meeting the "mother ship" schooners, but he also transported the ill-gotten gains by land to a central distribution point. Often times the "Key Men" either used suped-up automobiles with engines powerful enough to outrun law enforcement officials, or if the shipment was large enough, borrowed trucks belonging to local merchants, covering the contents with tarps, or simply using a covered trailer that looked legitimate to the untrained eye.

Few rumrunners and their bootlegging buddies ever did time in the pokey. Prohibition in Tampa was so despised by the public at large that rumrunning and moonshining operated with impunity. As a result, Tampa became one of the most corrupt cities in the United States. Attempts to put a dent in the illegal trade were virtually non-existent as most of Tampa's politicians were either themselves personally involved, or had close friends or family that were. To make matters worse, Tampa's police force was horrendously understaffed and underpaid, so non-resistance to the growing tide of organized crime was virtually all but assured in the Cigar City.

Knight in Shining Armor
To try to appease the Prohibitionists, and mitigate Tampa's sullied reputation; the Tampa City Council named World War I veteran Major Frank Williams as the City's Chief of Police in February 1922. Williams beefed up the amount of police officers, brought a military sense of discipline to the Department, instilled pride in the force, and conducted scores of high profile liquor and bolita busts. But looks were deceiving. The reality is that almost all of the bootleggers who were busted ended up back out on streets several hours later due to corrupt judges. It was not uncommon for these thugs to be arrested several times a week only to be plying their trade several blocks from jail in full view of the law. In addition, corrupt police officers would forewarn bootleggers of raids in advance. This gave the bootleggers the opportunity to relocate their high quality alcohol leaving low-end junk for local law enforcement to destroy or use as evidence.

Yes, sad but true, Tampa was, and by many accounts, still is, one of the most corrupt cities in the United States. Mob rule in Tampa did not stop with the 1920s. It became even more violent and bloody from the 1930s to the 1960s, and has been in a veiled "remission" since the late 1970s. Some historians and conspiracy theorists even link Tampa's organized crime community with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy back in November 1963. In any event, with all the bad mojo that has gone down in my beloved Tampa town, is it any wonder that our professional sports teams from the 70s to the present day seem jinxed and vexed? Something to ponder when you look at those summer thunderclouds yonder!

Alfred McKethan--Hernando County Civic Leader dead at 92

One of the most respected and powerful names in Hernando County politics and influence, Mr. Alfred McKethan, died the first week of April at the age of 92.

McKethan was born and raised in Brooksville, Florida. He worked for his father's bank, the Hernando State Bank at age 18, and after graduating from the University of Florida in 1931, returned to the same bank to run it for over seven decades. McKethan was described by business and community leaders as a visionary Southern gentleman and partriarch of Hernando County whose legacy included the Hernando County Fairgrounds, the Brooksville campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College, the West Hernando/Stafforene T. Foggia Library, the park at Pine Island.

In addition, McKethan made sure that all roads led to Brooksville. As chairman of the Florida State Road Board from 1949 to 1954 he pushed for the construction of State Road 50, the first cross-state highway in Florida, and U.S. 98 from Chassahowitzka to Lakeland. A confidant of governors and presidents, McKethan wielded his powerful influence to foster growth and development in his beloved home County. McKethan also helped his brother start Brooksville Rock Company, later named Florida Mining and Minerals. He was also the first chairman of the Southwest Florida Water Management District and was partially resonsible for its being headquartered in Brooksville. He also contributed to the growth of the Hernando County Airport.

In 1988 this chief historian and leader of the Nature Coast best summed up what he stood for:  "I never did have any particular desire to lead anything. But any time I was called upon, I did my best."

Alfred McKethan, visionary, leader, Southern gentleman, and Florida Folk hero will lead no longer, but his good deeds will last generations in the saga of La Floridiana.