The Whiskey King

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From the BUSINESS section: Samuel Bronfman

Some entrepreneurs are motivated by money, power or simply the challenge of trying to establish a successful business. However, in the case of Samuel Bronfman it was all about gaining social acceptance.

Samuel Bronfman

Bronfman was known as the whiskey king. He bought the Seagram & Sons distillery in 1928, set up shop near Montreal, Canada and never looked back. Despite the passage of the Volstead Act in 1919, which outlawed the sale and consumption of alcohol in the United States, Bronfman soon discovered that Prohibition had, in fact, created a very lucrative market. Instead of curbing demand, Prohibition increased it.

So how was Bronfman able to export whiskey into the U.S. when it was illegal to do so? By partnering with mobsters, of course. And not just any mobsters. He did “business” with Charles “Lucky” Luciano and Meyer Lansky until he was able to legitimately export into the U.S. once Prohibition had ended in 1933.

When Samuel Bronfman died in 1971 there were so many celebrities and dignitaries who flew to Montreal in their private jets to pay their respects at his funeral that they had to temporarily close the airport to commercial air traffic.

I suppose in the end “Mr. Sam” achieved the social acceptance he so eagerly craved.

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Vocabulary:

Distillery. Destilería

To set up shop. Montar un negocio

To outlaw. Ilegalizar

Prohibition. La ley seca

To curb. Poner freno a, frenar

Mobster. Gángster.

To crave. Reclamar (atención, afección)

Published by: Drew Crosby