Today in Wheeling History: April 12—George L. Cassiday, Sr., infamous bootlegger widely recognized as "The Man in the Green Hat," was born in Wheeling and became one of the leading Congressional bootleggers during National Prohibition, selling liquor for ten years to congressional representatives and senators within the halls of Capitol Hill (1892).
George Lawrence Cassiday was born on April 12, 1892, in Wheeling, West Virginia, to a Methodist family. His father worked as a steelworker, and George spent his early years in Wheeling, leaving school after the third grade to work in a glass factory. During World War I, Cassiday served in the U.S. Army, returning home to a nation grappling with Prohibition. Struggling to find work, he stumbled into bootlegging, supplying liquor to congressional representatives on Capitol Hill. Cassiday operated from the Cannon House Office Building and later the Russell Senate Office Building, earning the nickname "The Man in the Green Hat" for his distinctive headwear. His activities highlighted Congressional hypocrisy during Prohibition, as he claimed that four out of five senators and congressional representatives consumed alcohol despite supporting the Eighteenth Amendment. Cassiday's bootlegging career ended with his arrest in 1930, leading to a felony conviction and an 18-month prison sentence. He later wrote a series of articles for The Washington Post, exposing the widespread disregard for Prohibition laws among lawmakers. Cassiday passed away on January 21, 1967, in Prince George's County, Maryland, and was buried in Washington National Cemetery.
To learn more: Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/y3vapj3z), Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/5df5kucu)
Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons
George Lawrence Cassiday was born on April 12, 1892, in Wheeling, West Virginia, to a Methodist family. His father worked as a steelworker, and George spent his early years in Wheeling, leaving school after the third grade to work in a glass factory. During World War I, Cassiday served in the U.S. Army, returning home to a nation grappling with Prohibition. Struggling to find work, he stumbled into bootlegging, supplying liquor to congressional representatives on Capitol Hill. Cassiday operated from the Cannon House Office Building and later the Russell Senate Office Building, earning the nickname "The Man in the Green Hat" for his distinctive headwear. His activities highlighted Congressional hypocrisy during Prohibition, as he claimed that four out of five senators and congressional representatives consumed alcohol despite supporting the Eighteenth Amendment. Cassiday's bootlegging career ended with his arrest in 1930, leading to a felony conviction and an 18-month prison sentence. He later wrote a series of articles for The Washington Post, exposing the widespread disregard for Prohibition laws among lawmakers. Cassiday passed away on January 21, 1967, in Prince George's County, Maryland, and was buried in Washington National Cemetery.
To learn more: Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/y3vapj3z), Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/5df5kucu)
Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons
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