Greenwich Village was always a bastion for freedom of expression. This was particularly true during the turbulent times of Prohibition. And Greenwich Village was particularly defiant of any law that would rain on their partying and boozing parade. Following is a quote from Strausbaugh’s, A History of Greenwich Village:
“All of New York City disobeyed the drinking ban but Greenwich Village, as one might expect, was one of the most openly defiant neighborhoods. On the very first day the Wartime Prohibition Act went into effect, the first person in the city, and possibly the country, to be arrested for disobeying it was Barney Gallant, co-owner of the Greenwich Village Inn near Sheridan Square. A waiter had served a glass of sherry in full view of undercover lawmen and Gallant gallantly insisted on being the one punished. Like The Masses editors, he appeared before the lenient judge Learned Hand for sentencing. Judge Hand gave him ten days to get his affairs in order before serving a very brief sentence behind bars. Gallant returned home to a hero’s welcome at the inn where the liquor continued to flow. Twenty thousand New Yorkers signed a petition in his support setting a New York tradition of insubordination that continued throughout the dry years.” John Strausbaugh from The Village, 400 Years of Beats and Bohemians, Radicals and Rogues. A History of Greenwich Village
Then as now, Greenwich Village has been a haven for free spirited people that crave liberty, individual freedom, and of course, a nice glass of sherry.
Thanks so much for stopping by. If you haven’t done so, please visit the Mystic Village Landing Page to read a brief summary of the Mystic Village concept and execution and how to purchase prints. You can also support the phenomenal preservation and educational work of the Greenwich Village Society for Historical Preservation, GVSHP. You can also support the fine work of the Washington Square Park Conservancy.
Thanks for stopping by and please come again, often.
Bob Estremera