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Ogdensburg author shares stories of bootleggers, speakeasies and scofflaws during prohibition era

Posted 12/7/22

BY JIMMY LAWTON North Country This Week OGDENSBURG — Across the United States, tales of bootlegging are pure Americana, a time when the fabled lawlessness of the American West resurfaced into the …

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Ogdensburg author shares stories of bootleggers, speakeasies and scofflaws during prohibition era

Posted

BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG — Across the United States, tales of bootlegging are pure Americana, a time when the fabled lawlessness of the American West resurfaced into the modern world with motor vehicles and automatic rifles.

While many people think such tales took place in large metro areas, it turns out high-speed chases, gun fights and stories of resistance to prohibition were quite common in the North Country.

Ogdensburg author James E. Reagen, who also serves on the St. Lawrence County Legislature, recently published a book sharing tales of well-known Ogdensburg families who got their start operating speakeasies and running liquor.

Booze, Badboys and Bootleggers (North Country Tales Grandpa Never Told You) focuses on the first six months of prohibition as it unfolded in Northern New York.

Reagen said that growing up in Ogdensburg it was common to hear stories about how “so and so” was involved in bootlegging back during prohibition or how this bar or that bar was once a speakeasy.

“You’d hear these stories of how some of the previous owners were involved in smuggling,” he said. “People would say ‘my grandfather or my great grandfather was running booze or operating a speakeasy.’”

During his long career as Managing Editor at the Ogdensburg Journal, Reagen had thought about those stories and after he retired he applied his trade to separate fact from fiction.

“I discovered stories about high speed chases, shootings; stories where prominent families’ ancestors were arrested and that many of our local bars and hotels really were speakeasies.”

Reagen says going through old news articles he found that former New York State Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava’s grandfather Fred Scozzafava was a booze runner.

“He was hauling a load of liquor to Gouverneur when his vehicle got hit by a New York Central train when it ran though DeKalb Junction,” he said. “He broke his leg in the accident and was taken to Claxton-Hepburn hospital. He later sued the railroad company and used the money to open a chain of automobile parts stores,” he said.

Reagen, having known Dede well during his career as Managing Editor of the Ogdensburg Journal, called the former Assemblywoman who discussed the story with her father.

“She asked her dad if it was all true and later provided me with a picture of Fred on crutches standing next to his mangled vehicle after he got out of the hospital,” he said.

Reagen said he also spoke with Phillips Diner owner Judy Rishe about her families legacy and the exploits of her grandfather Joe Rishe who was well-known in his day for operating speakeasies.

“He ran several over the course of his career. At the Johnson Hotel on Ford Street, The Union Hotel, which is now Nigs, and another place near where the Freight House stands today,” he said.

Rishe’s speakeasy at the Old Chapel’s Hotel, which is now a vacant lot at the corner of Main and Water streets, was called the Oswegatchie Hotel. It continued operating and was popular with travelers until federal agents showed up and began raiding the North Country’s discreet establishments.

Reagen said Ogdensburg in particular was slow to get in line when prohibition became law of the land.

He said that Ogdensburg Police Department turned a blind eye to scofflaws in the early days saying they lacked the manpower to enforce prohibition, something the local District Attorney also seemed OK with for a time.

“Their view was it was federal law and that federal agencies should enforce it,” he said.

But that drew attention from a Democratic U.S. Attorney who lived in Ogdensburg who felt differently on the matter.

The Assistant DA and police chief were Republicans and the U.S. Attorney didn’t appreciate their view that the federal agents needed to enforce the laws,” he said.

The attorney eventually issued a statement noting that Ogdensburg and St. Lawrence County were a “black spot” where officers, with the exception of Massena, has “fallen flat” and “ignored the law.”

It wasn’t long after that the local paper began to question the lack of prohibition enforcement and editorials eventually drew enough attention to bring federal agents to the area.

“Even back then, it took the newspaper to encourage local officials to do their jobs properly,” he said.

One of the more exciting tales in Reagen’s book centers on a high-speed chase where booze runners evaded Massena police, who called for assistance from the Sheriff and Ogdensburg police.

Police prepped a roadblock for the runners near Ogdensburg, but as the runners approached shots were fired and the runners kept on track all the way to Watertown.

Reagen says it’s there that things got interesting.

“The city police called Watertown police and told them to be on the lookout for this REO Roadster. And there was this police Officer George Hayden who happened to be in the public square when he saw the vehicle,” Reagen said. “So, he runs over to a taxi cab and orders the driver to follow the car.”

Hayden was standing on the outside floorboards as the chase ensued.

“He lept from taxi cab onto the runner’s vehicle, draws his gun and orders them to stop and takes them into custody,” Reagen said.

The runners were taken to Massena where they were arrested.

“This sort of thing was happening all over the place,” Reagen said.

So whether you’re a fan of American history, local history, stories of rebellion or have an interest in separating the facts from myths, Reagen’s latest book can fit the bill.

The book is available on Amazon.com and can be found easily by searching the title or the author. The book also for sale at the Remington Museum.

Reagen offered appreciation to those who have already purchased the book and have shown him support.

“It’s been great. People seem to like it a lot. Since it was published I’ve gotten messages from people all over New York who were asking if their relatives were involved in bootlegging,” he said.

Reagen says that since his book covers only the first six months of prohibition, there are more than 14 years of stories on the topic he’s yet to explore and he plans to release a sequel in the future.