1928

July 1928 It has been 3 years since I worked for Mr. J, I first started as a bootlegger for my uncle. Before I became what I am now I used to tend his shop I needed the dough he paid, it wasn’t much, but dough is dough. Then prohibition came and Uncle Tom decided to make his shop into a secret storage for beer and alcohol. Once he came to me and some friends of mine. He told us that he wanted us to become bootleggers we of course asked how much dough he would pay up. He offered two clams for bottle, but a friend of mine that looked like a bimbo said three and Uncle Tom accepted. We started to smuggle alcohol into the shop and selling it on the streets. One day a bull came up to me he was suspicious about my outfit; it was strange looking I used a large coat that covered the bottles that were strapped to my legs. Men had it easy they just needed to put them in their boots. Since then I was stop by a bull every week because of it. One day Uncle Tom came by to talk to us. He saw that there was another gal with us he came up to me and said to tell her to beat it. I signaled her to come over and said “Jane, come here.” “What you want'” “Scram” “But why'” “Dry down and don’t you beef about it, beat it.” “Jake, then I’ll see you all later and Beats remember you owe me a hair of a dog.” “Yea, yea now scram.” After she left Uncle Tom told us that a hard boiled man went to him asking for a favor. The bimbo wanted help moving some bottles to a blind pig. He offered big rubes for doing the job and of course he said yes. Uncle Tom offered us 25% of the rubes so we accepted. He told us that it would take about a week and the five of to visit the blind pig twice a day to be able to deliver all the bottles. He also said to be careful specially me because the police would be watching my steps. I only shook my head in approval. We started the deliveries on July 25, 1925. It was second visit to blind pig in the week, I was just a few feet from the blind pig when I saw a bull walking towards me, but before he reached me a man that looked like sap walk up to me and asked if I wanted to see a blind pig. I responded with a jake, then we walked in but before we did two men that looked like bimbos started to fight and the bull didn’t see where I had gone. Once inside the man took me to the back where there was a small door that leaded to a small corridor. We walked to the end were there was another door. The man knocked twice and waited for a few seconds then the door opened it was the same man that went to speak with my uncle. He let us in; there was another man in the small office. He introduced him as Mr. J. The man stood up and greeted me, and then he offered me a ciggy. “Want one'” “Sure butt me.” “So Jack here tells me that you are a good worker and you like to make big dough, it’s that right'” “Yes I do sir.” At first the conversation went well then he said “Tell me something moll, who you work for'” That left me all balled up so I said, “Level with me sir why do you want to know'” “Now that’s what I like in a worker always direct, but I want you to tell me why you think I’m asking.” “I don’t know sir maybe you’re a bull in disguise.” “Ha, me a bull, you listening to this Jack, she thinks I’m a bull. Look here moll tell you what, why don’t you think of it as job offer'” “What' I’m sorry sir but you got me all balled up, did you just said you want me to work for you.” “Yes, indeed I said that, so what you say'” Of course I said yes. After a short discussion about how much I would make, he ended up offering me 5 clams for bottle. Two years past it was almost my third year working for Mr. J. one day he told me to take a few friends to pick up a small cargo of liquor bottles, but what I didn’t know was that, that delivery would be my last. When we got to the pier the police surrounded us a few of us got away. We didn’t appear on the streets for a while that got Mr. J nervous, he thought that me and the others had double crossed him and that, that was why we were hiding. Two weeks later I went back to the city being careful no bull saw me, but that wasn’t enough I needed to be careful no men of Mr. J saw me, but it was too late. The man grabbed my arm and took me into a house and there he was Mr. J. “Well, well, look who we got here. Where’s my money'” “I don’t know sir.” “Look you need to level with me if you don’t something bad is going to happen.” “I know sir, but really I don’t know where your money is sir.” “Ok I believe you. Now scram.” “Yes sir.” I left but I noticed that one of his torpedoes was following me. I started to run through the streets then I ran into a bull, which only got a glimpse of me. Turned and I saw the other man hen I thought that I was a sap for trusting that Mr. J., before any of both men saw I found an open door and went in. I waited for an hour then I looked out and saw that neither of them was there. Since then I would go out at night to get what I needed, but that was also a terrible idea. I felt that I was being followed, but I thought that it was only my imagination, but I was wrong I was being followed and it was too late when I found out. I heard a gun being fired and the only thing I felt then was a sting on my back. The man walked up to me and said “you should have not have messed with Mr. J’s money girl, because this is what happens to those who double cross him.” Then he left, because he thought I was dead and left me there, but I wasn’t. I thought it was over for me, but for my luck Uncle Tom found me and took me to his home and sent for a doctor. The doctor checked me out, and he said that I wouldn’t be able to walk. And now I’m in this bed writing part of my story, not knowing if being saved was fortune or a misfortune, because what I’m living now isn’t much of a life.