04/20/2026
So who got in trouble?
Primarily:
* Bootleggers
* Distillers
* Smugglers
* Speakeasy operators
* Distributors
Enforcement targeted the supply chain, not the end consumer.
⸻
The Catch
You had to obtain alcohol somehow.
If you:
* Bought it from a bootlegger → the seller was committing a crime
* Drank in a speakeasy → the operator was committing a crime
* Transported it yourself → you were committing a crime
* Made it yourself → you were committing a crime