![]() ![]() Upgrades to the city’s infrastructure were good for business, making The Commodore a beloved figure among many (but not all) business owners. He more or less single-handedly broke up a telephone monopoly, rebuilt the boardwalk, paved the roads, improved utility services, and created a new public transportation system. It might seem surprising that anyone would tolerate this fundamentally undemocratic system of governance, but the plain reality was that The Commodore was extraordinarily effective at solving the city’s problems. In real life, much like in the show, The Commodore came to control the city’s business and political dealings to the extent that, as Johnson writes in his book, “every candidate, employee, city contract, and mercantile license required his nod of approval.” In Atlantic City’s early years, this boss was Louis Kuehnle, commonly known around town as “The Commodore.” Kuehnle served as the inspiration for Nucky Thompson’s mentor in Boardwalk Empire, also called The Commodore ( Dabney Coleman). ![]() This, in combination with the city’s “boss” system, resulted in the continuation of the illicit status quo.Ī “boss,” such as New York City’s William Tweed, is an individual with prominent business and political connections who serves as the sort of unofficial mayor of a city, albeit with far more power than the actual mayor. ![]() Virtually everyone in Atlantic City either directly profited from illegal business or knew people who did. Periodically, newspapers and politicians would become irate that so many brothels and gambling dens were known to operate in A.C., but it didn’t result in much reform. At this time, the city primarily served working-class customers from Philadelphia looking for a reprieve from their grueling jobs. Prior to Prohibition, Atlantic City already had the reputation of being a freewheeling, law-skirting seaside resort town. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |