Enoch "Nucky" Johnson - Hero or Villan

Nucky Johnson was he a hero or a villan...

It depends on who you are asking. Well he was definitely the Boss of Atlantic City!

Acording to Nelson Johnson:

Hero side:

His presence allowed Atlantic City to function as a full-service resort even during Prohibition.
Tourists came and he made sure that they could get what they wanted. booze, broads and gambling.
For the businesses that cooperated he gave them the ability to function in a known environment
He took care of "his people." He always watched out for the "colored folks' making sure they had work and food when work was not available. He did his best to keep residents from developing gambling problems, beyond their means. He was a devoted husband to his childhood girlfriend that became his wife.

Villan side:

He could care less about laws and the order that they bring to society. After the death of his wife, he wildly partied with many many women. Last night, I heard Nelson tell the story that he would send a bus to pick up the chorus Girls in New York after their show on Saturday Night. They would come down and party all night - go to the beach or party on Sunday and be taken back in time for their show on Monday night. So I guess you could say, his moral compass was a bit off, with women and gambling and whatever else he wanted. He absolutely was corrupt in every sense of the word. If you opposed him or did not meet his standards, bad things could happen. Taxes, why would he pay taxes, it was his money, he did not just give it away for nothing.

Well like many hoodlums (I love that word) he was finally sent to jail over the tax issue. The FBI was in Atlantic City investigating for 5 years, before they could build a case against him.

That is a synopsis of the great show on Nucky Johnson, complete with period pictures and several local historians, including 2 of my favorites, "Boo"  Pergaman and Nelson Johnson, writer of Boardwalk Empire.

Johnson does a great job in writing about the times in the book,  Boardwalk Empire! Several years ago, I was a jurist in Judge Johnson's court. After the trial was finished, he was nice enough to come talk to us about the book and I got my original copy signed. I have great admiration for Nelson Johnson as a historian. well Nucky, well it would have been interesting. I don't know where I would have come as a supporter or opponent. What about you?

From what I hear the new HBO series Boardwalk Empire is going to be terrific. It is loosely based on the book, meaning I think, that it is about the times and place.

I am looking forward to the show enough, that I broke the budget and signed up for HBO at $10 a month for 6 months. I figure I will get tired of it by then.