Lawrence P. Gooley

North Country / Adirondack Author

Book Tag: Chazy

Bullets, Booze, Bootleggers, and Beer: The Story of Prohibition in Northern New York, Volume 1

Bullets, Booze, Bootleggers, and Beer, Volume 1-Front Cover

Prohibition was the wildest, most chaotic period in northern New York’s history. America’s so-called “Great Experiment”—banning the social and recreational use of alcohol—led to unforeseen and unfortunate consequences. Thousands of speeding bootleggers presented potentially deadly hazards to casual drivers. The number of gun-toting highwaymen (robbers) skyrocketed with the emergence of new and irresistible targets—bootleggers carrying cash north to buy alcohol, and bootleggers carrying valuable booze loads south.

Even more alarming were the almost daily wild shootouts, often on village and city streets, the air heavy with bullets as lawmen and smugglers fought it out during high-speed chases. Worse yet in the eyes of many were the extremely aggressive tactics of lawmen, who were sworn to provide enforcement (the offenses were mostly misdemeanors) and protect the public, but killed bootleggers and innocent citizens alike in the process, and were rarely held accountable. They falsified charges, lied, stonewalled, withheld evidence, and did whatever it took to avoid prosecution. » More Details

Brendler’s Boys: The House That George Built

Brendler's Boys: The House That George Built-Front Cover

When they started league play in 1953, the Eagles finished with no wins. In 1955, only their third year of league competition, they won their first sectional championship. Other titles followed through 1964, but in 1965, Chazy soccer entered a new era with the arrival of Coach George Brendler.

Brendler took a good team, taught them to play his style of soccer, and took the North Country by storm. No matter who the opponent was, no matter how big the school might be; more often than not, the Chazy Eagles cut them down to size. Brendler’s career at the helm lasted for twenty-four years. When he retired from coaching after the 1988 season, he left a tremendous legacy. » More Details