Our Multi-Talented Federal Prohibition Agents

On June 17, 1922 the New York Times published an article on several raids conducted by Federal prohibition agents. The Central Brewing Company in New York City was indicted for selling beer with more than 4% alcohol content. The Feds also seized a Rabbi’s wine, a widow’s whiskey still and further upstate some multi-talented agents raided the Nikko Inn.

The Nikko Inn at Harmon-on-Hudson [was] raided yesterday by Federal Prohibition Agents William McKay, Peter Reager and Leonard Gallante.

At the Nikko Inn the agents represented themselves as actors. Charles Hase, the owner of the place, asked them to “do a turn” for him. McKay fiddled, Reager sang and Gallante danced. The innkeeper was satisfied with their work and was about to hire them, when the agents, after having been served with drinks, as they alleged, at $1.50 a drink, arrested Hase and a waiter, Hero Gotow, on a charge of violating the Volstead act. They gave $1,000 bail each for appearance Monday before a United States Commissioner.

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