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Island Empire: the Influence of the Maceo Family in Galveston

From the 1920s until the 1950s, brothers, Sam and Rosario Maceo, ran an influential crime family in Galveston, Texas. The brothers’ success was largely due to Galveston’s transient population, the turbulent history of the island, and the resulting economic decline experienced at the turn of the 20th century. Their success began during Prohibition, when they opened their first club. The establishment offered bootlegged liquor, fine dining, and first class entertainment. After Prohibition, the brothers continued to build an empire on the island through similar clubs, without much opposition from the locals. However, after being suspected of involvement in a drug smuggling ring, the Maceos were placed under scrutiny from outside law enforcement agencies. Through persistent investigations, the Texas Rangers finally shut down the rackets in Galveston in 1957. Despite their influence through the first half of the 20th century, on the island and off the island, their story is largely missing from the current literature.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc699931
Date08 1900
CreatorsBoatman, T. Nicole
ContributorsBelshaw, Scott Howard, Trulson, Chad R., McCaslin, Richard B.
PublisherUniversity of North Texas
Source SetsUniversity of North Texas
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis or Dissertation
Formatv, 127 pages, Text
CoverageUnited States - Texas - Galveston County - Galveston, 1920-1957
RightsPublic, Boatman, T. Nicole, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights Reserved.

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