Me and the Police

After Hours Bar Questions.
You must of went to a lot of different Liquor Stores?
No, I went pretty much to the same store all the time, I was treated as a
valued customer and at Xmas, I was usually given a few bottles of wine as
a present. I remember picking up an order near Xmas one year. A wino watched
in amazement as they filled case after case of liquor. After a couple of
minutes, he gasped. Well if you got the money I got the time.
It should be noted that I was often offered stolen booze and I never ever
bought any. I was a bootlegger, not a fence. I also only bought premium
booze and charged premium prices.



The only exception was with beer. Again I used the same beer store all
the time. I was often offered cases of overage beer at slashed prices.
of course, there was nothing wrong with it it just reached 3 months old
and I went through it very quickly.

The police.
I had a funny relationship here because The Horseshoe was my local bar
and it was a police hangout. Half of them liked me and half of them hated
me. but I did get a speeding ticket fixed anonymously. There was even a
handful of police that drank at my bar and none of them ever grassed me.
But there were others.
My first bust was by a rookie cop in plain clothes who snuck in with the cast
of Second City. he just tagged on to the group and came in.
the next night he came back and I let him in He bought a drink with
marked money and went out and came back with the squad.
Later another cop told me he almost blew it. The night before he was so
happy to get in unnoticed that when he came out he leaped into the air
and clicked his heels and drove his head into the low hanging branch of a
a tree outside and knocked himself unconscious and spent the rest of the
night in Hospital,

More of Georgie.
One of the things about running an illegal bar was security. All the doors were double latched. but fear of fire was a concern so I had my backdoor rigged in such a way that a good push would open it just in case. So of course it was easy to pick. I came out on the roof one weekday night and there is Georgie and his partner.
Georgie, I say you are breaking and entering. "No, he says it was open.' No way I am talking his partner runs for the bar I stop him and push him back to the door. Georgie runs for the bar I stop him his partner runs etc. Finally, his partner says I see them selling drinks. Georgie says" We're busting you, Gary." Ok" say I
In we go I had about 20 customers. Frankie is working the other end of the bar. He comes down to throw the money in a box we had under the bar. Georgie says "Stop the bar is close.' "With you in a minute," says Frankie

"You are busted." says Georgie " "I said wait a minute," says Frankie picking up the money box for some change.
Then Frankie sees me and realizes what is happening. He panics and throws the box under the bar which knocks off a loose panel and it comes off and the money scatters all over the floor. Georgie and his partner start picking it up. I give Frankie the hi sign and he runs out the back door and in the general direction of 'away'.

Georgie and his partner ask "Where is the bartender?"  They ask everybody. Nobody knows. I am laughing. "Well you fucked this up Georgie, "I say. Give me back my money. He knows he is finished. He gives me back my money. "I am officially warning you . ." says Georgie. Ya ya say I get out!