GANGSTERS, RUMRUNNERS, FEMME FATALES AND THE
LAW : SOUTH FLORIDA DURING PROHIBITION

Sally Ling

DESCRIPTION: Discover the tricks of the trade: smuggling liquor and evading the law. Learn of the dealings of Al Capone, the “Real McCoy,” femme fatales Marie Waite and Grace Lythgoe, and the role that the government and the U.S. Coast Guard played in trying to enforce the law. In the history of South Florida during Prohibition, author Sally J. Ling explores the impact of bootleggers and moonshiners on South Florida, presenting tales of rum running and law breaking as told through personal and written accounts. This one-time lecture will outline the history of Prohibition and the vital role South Florida played in bringing illegal booze into the U.S. A PowerPoint presentation, including videos from several of Sally’s documentaries on the subject, will be shown to expand on the lecture.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Sally J. Ling is an author, speaker and historian. She has written five fiction and non-fiction books, mostly on the history of South Florida, which she continues to research and write. Ling has spoken extensively and has been on National Public Radio (NPR) many times speaking on historical topics. She has also taped a documentary for the National Geographic channel and local station WLRN, based on her book Run the Rum In. Previous lectures at LLS were on the Boca Raton Army Air Field. Additionally, she has written hundreds of articles for the Sun-Sentinel as a special correspondent.