Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Washington, D.C. Bootlegging Room in the Cannon House Office Building

Bootlegging Room in the Cannon House Office Building

During Prohibition, the U.S. Congress had an "official" bootlegger, with his own Capitol Hill office.

Washington, D.C.

Added By
Elliot Carter
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
George Cassiday in 1930   Underwood & Underwood/Public Domain
The Cannon House Office Building, where Cassiday had an office   Waldon Fawcett/Public Domain
Cannon House Office Building at the U.S. Capitol, 2007   RebelAt/CC BY-SA 3.0
Cannon House Office Building   Architect of the Capitol/Public Domain
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

George L. Cassiday was a prolific Capitol Hill bootlegger who supplied hundreds of congressmen and senators with booze during Prohibition. Cassiday developed such a cozy relationship with the lawmakers that he was actually given office space in the Capitol complex to use as a base of operations.

Cassiday got out of the business following a 1929 arrest and took his story to the Washington Post, which published five back-to-back front page articles in the days leading up to the 1930 election, and helped wet Democrats retake a majority from dry Republicans.

George Cassiday served with a light tank unit during World War I. After the war, he was unable to return to his job as a railroad brakeman and struggled with underemployment. Cassiday started bootlegging in the summer of 1920 after a friend suggested that “liquor on Capitol Hill was bringing better prices than anywhere in Washington and that a living could be made supplying the demand.” 

Bootlegging on the Hill required a similar skillset as lobbying, and Cassiday was adept at developing contacts and networking to expand his business. Introductions and referrals tended to come “along state lines,” as “the average representative was better acquainted with colleagues from his own State than with the members of the House at large."

Cassiday expanded his network from one state delegation to another, and found that “it was not long before I had the run of the Senate and House Office Buildings and was spending more time there than most of the representatives.” On a typical day, he estimated making 20 to 25 deliveries.

“The House Office Building got so it seemed like home to me. I knew every nook and corner in it. The fact that the Capitol Police and the door guards were appointed by members of Congress seemed to assure me of protection in getting into the building."

Cassiday’s presence on the Hill escalated to the point that he was given an office in the basement of the Cannon House Office Building, across the street from the Capitol. The hideaway had a secret door knock, and members would often gather there to play cards and imbibe while waiting for floor votes.

Four out of five members of Congress continued to drink alcohol during Prohibition, but Cassiday’s shameless bootlegging eventually drew the ire of a teetotaling lawmaker. In 1925 he was arrested with a briefcase full of liquor by a capitol policeman “under the patronage of a Massachusetts representative.” Speaker of the House Nicholas Longworth pushed through a one-of-a-kind rule banning Cassiday from entering the House Office Building.

Undeterred, Cassiday went two blocks north and set up shop in the Russell Senate Office Building. He continued bootlegging for the upper chamber for another five years but was never able to rebuild the social circle he had enjoyed in the House. Senators kept Cassiday at arm's length and generally dispatched secretaries or clerks to purchase his alcoholic products. 

George Cassiday gave up bootlegging following another arrest and conviction in 1929; his decade-long stint on Capitol Hill was longer than the average congressional career. Cassiday happened to be wearing a green fedora when he was arrested, leading local crime reporters to dub him "the man in the green hat."

There was strong public interest in the "famous official bootlegger," and Cassiday went to the Washington Post with a series of tell-all front page stories. His five articles were published back to back in the days leading up to the 1930 midterm election and were a contributing factor in the landslide Democratic victory.

In 2015 the New Columbia Distillers released Green Hat Gin in honor of George Cassiday.

Related Tags

Prohibition Alcohol Crime And Punishment Government History

Know Before You Go

Lag/Long marks the Cannon House Office building where Cassiday headquartered his first operation. The House of Representatives Historian isn't clear which exact room he used. The building is open to the public.

Community Contributors

Added By

Elliot Carter

Edited By

Meg

  • Meg

Published

June 27, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Bootlegging Room in the Cannon House Office Building
Cannon House Office Building
Washington, District of Columbia
United States
38.887251, -77.007496
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Library Of Congress Gutenberg Bible

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Library of Congress Book Conveyor Tunnel

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Legislative Bell System

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

United States

Places 285
Stories 50

Nearby Places

Library Of Congress Gutenberg Bible

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Library of Congress Book Conveyor Tunnel

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Legislative Bell System

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

United States

Places 285
Stories 50

Related Places

  • Faded sign.

    Baltimore, Maryland

    Vote Against Prohibition Sign

    A faded sign from the 1920s remembers Baltimore's resistance toward banning alcohol.

  • The embassy.

    Washington, D.C.

    The Cuban Embassy's Hemingway Bar

    When it opened during the final years of the embargo, all the drinks and cigars were free.

  • One of many Anti-Saloon League Cartoon

    Westerville, Ohio

    Anti-Saloon League Museum

    Artifacts fill the old headquarters of the hugely influential political movement to ban alcohol in the United States.

  • Three female and one child prisoner are shown arriving in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania).

    Hobart, Australia

    'Footsteps Towards Freedom'

    Three women and a 10-year-old boy are immortalized in this sculpture memorializing the 13,000 women and children convicts sent to Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) between 1803 and 1853.

  • The antique, embossed tin on the walls and ceiling of the Martin Hotel have an “Arabesque” design motif, popular at the time of establishment.

    Winnemucca, Nevada

    The Martin Hotel

    It may no longer take overnight guests, but the Martin still makes out-of-towners feel at home—just like it has for the past century.

  • Rutherford B. Hayes exhibit

    Villa Hayes, Paraguay

    Museo Municipal de Villa Hayes

    How did 19th U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes become so beloved in Paraguay?

  • Bassett Island Today

    Traverse City, Michigan

    Bassett Island

    This tiny island bears the name of Civil War veteran, fisherman, and local celebrity Richard Bassett.

  • Charles Poston’s pyramid tomb.

    Florence, Arizona

    Poston Butte

    The "Father of Arizona" tried to build a Zoroastrian fire temple on the hill where he's now buried.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.