Background
What is a speakeasy?
Before we introduce you to our project, you need to understand the subject matter. As defined by Jenny Smedra and her article, “During the Prohibition era, which lasted from around 1920 through 1933, it was illegal to manufacture and sell alcohol in the United States. Alcohol was prohibited across the nation, hence the name, ‘prohibition.’ That didn’t stop folks from enjoying their favorite alcoholic drinks, though. While many bars and taverns closed down, illegal drinking establishments known as ‘speakeasies’ cropped up all across the country.” The term originally came from the British phrase “speak softly shop” when referring to a smuggler’s home, and was then simplified to “speakeasy shop,” until it was finally shortened to the simple word “speakeasy” (Smedra 2020).
To find a speakeasy during Prohibition, you had to be well connected. In other words, you had to know someone who knew someone who knew the location of a speakeasy, and was comfortable with sharing that priceless information. In today’s world, modern speakeasies can be found with a simple Google search, and they’ll even pop up on Google Maps. However, word of mouth is just as powerful now as it was back then as there are plenty of speakeasies still hidden from the larger world.
Moreover, as if speakeasies weren’t already hard enough to find, patrons often had to use special entrance cards (Mob Museum 2021) such as the one pictured below.
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Specific terminology was also utilized when talking about them, because of their illegal nature. One of such terms was “blind pig.” As described by The Blind Pig Supper Club, “The term ‘blind pig’ originated in the United States in the 19th century; it was applied to lower-class establishments that sold alcohol during prohibition. The operator of an establishment (such as a saloon or bar) would charge customers to see an attraction (such as an animal) and then serve a ‘complimentary’ alcoholic beverage, thus circumventing the law.” As a result, “blind pig” was usually used when referring to lower class establishments, while “speakeasy” was used in reference to higher class, fancier places.
Prohibition, tunnels, and speakeasies
The era of Prohibition, which outlawed the selling and distribution of alcohol, started in 1920 after the passage of the 18th amendment. Often called the “Noble Experiment”, the Temperance movement gained traction especially after World War I, when wives and women blamed alcoholism for the destruction of families when husbands often came home drunk. While the consumption of alcohol decreased slightly at the beginning of Prohibition, ultimately, illegal bootlegging of alcohol became widespread across the country (Bradner 2019).
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The city of Los Angeles was no exception. Tunnels were originally built underground in order to help congestion; however, they were soon used to transport illegal booze to various locations such as speakeasies. There are plenty of tunnels around downtown Los Angeles--some were used for bootlegging, others for transporting documents around City Hall or even moving criminals, while others were simply used for transportation (either for cars or trains). Despite the tunnels’ varied uses, there was no shortage of them during Prohibition. Frommers.com claims that “by some estimates,” there are almost “11 miles” of tunnels underneath Los Angeles. Frommer’s continues on by saying “A hundred years ago, the tight urban streets were so congested that locals burrowed underground to solve transportation issues. Some tunnels were for streetcars. Some were for moving cash between banking institutions. And some were for illegal hooch.” As aforementioned, “many of the tunnels were forgotten because they were never properly mapped. Secrecy was important if you were shuttling liquor between the estimated 400 speakeasies that raged in Los Angeles during the 13 years of Prohibition (1920-1933)” (Cochran 2021). The tunnels used specifically for speakeasies had painted walls depicting scenes from speakeasies, old bottles, and boxes littered around the ground.
