Charles Angoff

The widespread casual disregard for the liquor laws surprised even "wet" supporters. After the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment, there were actually more places to get a drink than before liquor was declared illegal. This was especially true in the big cities where speakeasies could be easily hidden in backrooms and cellars. It is estimated New York had more than thirty thousand speakeasies during Prohibition.

There were many different kinds of speakeasies to choose from. They ranged from simple workingman's bars to lavish nightclubs that featured nightly shows with big name entertainment. Editor and critic Charles Angoff had his share of favorites. In the following selection Angoff remembers the places that were less like bars and more like salons in the European tradition. These salons or parlors, which did not exist before or after Prohibition, were havens where art and intellectualism flourished...