Welcome to another captivating episode of “Tales of the Bourbon King,” the podcast that examines the life and true crimes of Jazz Age bootleg baron George Remus. In this episode, we dive deep into a little-known aspect of the crime mastermind’s life – an intriguing commitment to extreme sports and what that chapter uncovers about his journey to infamy.

George Remus, a name synonymous with 1920s crime and murder, had a lesser-known past that shaped the trajectory of his life. Long before he became entangled in the underworld of organized crime, Remus possessed an exceptional talent that set him apart – swimming. Born in the late 19th century, Remus displayed remarkable prowess in the water and established himself as a competitive swimmer of great promise.

But what does swimming have to do with the turbulent times of the early 1900s and the philosophy of the “strenuous life,” popularized by none other than President Theodore Roosevelt? To understand this connection, we need to delve into the prevailing mindset of the era.

Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, preached the virtues of an active and vigorous life. He championed physical fitness, asserting that endurance and strength were not only crucial for individual success, but also for the well-being of the nation as a whole. Roosevelt’s philosophy was widely embraced, reflecting an era when physical challenges were seen as opportunities for personal growth and character development.

George Remus was undoubtedly influenced by Roosevelt’s example and the prevailing zeitgeist. His intense focus and single-mindedness, qualities that had propelled him to excellence in swimming, seamlessly transitioned into his pursuit of a legal career. Remus’s unyielding determination led him to become a successful lawyer, earning a reputation for his unwavering commitment to his clients and his relentless pursuit of victory.

But as history often reveals, single-mindedness can be a double-edged sword. Remus’s intense dedication to his clients and his insatiable drive for success eventually blurred the lines between legal and illegal activities. The advent of Prohibition in the 1920s provided Remus with a lucrative opportunity to exploit the law and amass immense wealth as a bootlegger.

In a stunning turn of events, Remus’s transition from esteemed lawyer to notorious criminal underscored the complex interplay between personal ambition, societal values, and the allure of forbidden activities during the Prohibition era. This episode provides another window into how Remus made the transformation – mentally and physically – from famous attorney to notorious criminal mastermind.

For George Remus, the path from German immigrant to the bootleg king of the Jazz Age began humbly, as his near-destitute family first set foot in America. Within a decade, with the family disintegrating, young George -- barely a teenager -- took on the mantle as main breadwinner and support system. What initially seemed like the American dream of success via hard work and determination was planted in Remus. At the same time, however, the burden and responsibility hardened him, creating and reinforcing personality traits that would eventually lead him on a resolutely criminal path.

The mass arrival of German immigrants in the United States in the 1800s changed the nation. German settlers gained a significant presence, becoming one of the largest immigrant groups of the 19th century. Millions of Germans made the journey to the US between 1820 and 1880. They sought out economic opportunities and a chance for a better life.

For the Remus clan, the early experiences in America were filled with heartbreak and tragedy as they moved westward in hopes of finding a better life, eventually settling in Chicago. "It was a hardship," George would later reflect on his early years. The weight of their struggles was palpable, pushing young Remus to shoulder the mantle of responsibility. In this cauldron, Remus developed the character traits that came to define him as a person. During these years, the world silently witnessed the birth of criminal mastermind like few had existed before him.

“Tales of the Bourbon King,” hosted by award-winning cultural historian and biographer Bob Batchelor (author of The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition's Evil Genius) dives into the grand spectacle of Remus’s true crime lifestyle. This is a lens into the dark heart of American in the 1920s as Prohibition outlawed alcohol, but did just the opposite as criminals and devious mob leaders filled the streets with bootleg whiskey, flappers danced the night away, and blazing machine guns barked through the night. All told, the bootleg era brought in countless millions of dollars in illegal booze and cost countless lives as mobsters fought it out for supremacy. Atop it all sat George Remus, the “King of the Bootleggers,” a former pharmacist and one of America’s top attorneys who used his unique knowledge to turn America into his violent playground. He amassed a fortune and lived out a real-life Great Gatsby tale of mayhem and murder as he built an empire from the Ohio and Kentucky whiskey distilleries home to the finest bourbon in the world.  

Millions of immigrants arrived in America in the late nineteenth century at Castle Gardens, the precursor to Ellis Island. While many people today might imagine Castle Garden as a safe haven after the arduous Atlantic crossing, there was a dark underbelly to the immigration story that opens us to the sordid history of the era.

It is 1882 – As waves of newcomers from Europe arrive on American shores, they are greeted not by ticker-tape parades or relatives eager to welcome their family member to the US, but by a group of unscrupulous individuals who have created a thriving network of graft, corruption, and exploitation.

These criminals, often operating under the guise of “immigrant agents,” promise to help newcomers find work, housing, and a better life in America. Instead of offering genuine assistance, thought, they demand exorbitant fees, force immigrants to purchase overpriced goods, and even attempted to sell them into indentured servitude. The corruption ran deep into the officials running Castle Garden. Some observers estimate that these forces of evil siphoned off millions of dollars from immigrants, leaving many destitute and unable to start their American journeys on a strong footing.

Preying on its newest arrivals because they are vulnerable is a particularly despicable act that reveals a fundamentally evil side of human life. To understand George Remus’s immigration story, we must shine a light on this dark stain on American history.