River City History Tour: Last Call for Alcohol: Omaha’s Bootlegging History

The 18th Amendment to the Constitution did not stop people’s thirst for alcohol. By the time prohibition was the law of the land in 1919, Nebraska had been “dry” for two years. Organized crime syndicates had established a well-oiled machine to profit from those wanting to purchase illegal drink and be a part of the activities associated with it. The local and federal authorities spent years putting together a case that ultimately brought down the “kingpin” of Omaha’s crime scene, Tom Dennison. The information presented on this tour is based off of the 1931 federal indictment brought against some of Omaha’s largest bootleggers.