George Cassiday: Who Was the Man in the Green Hat?

When the Eighteenth Amendment was enacted and alcohol was illegal, underground activity, including bootlegging, flourished. One of the most notorious and well-known men illegally purchasing and distributing alcohol included George Cassiday, also known as ‘the man in the green hat’. He earned a widespread reputation for supplying high profile people with contraband goods, including several leading congressmen.

George Cassiday was born in April 12, 1892 in Wheeling, West Virginia. His father was a steel-worker. Like many at the time, Cassiday did not stay in school. After the third-grade he left to work in a glass factory. In WWI he joined the army, first in the UK, and in 1917 he joined the United States Army. He returned home after the war to a country that had outlawed booze.

Looking for work upon his return, George Cassiday ended up selling liquor to congressmen on Capitol Hill. These included John Nance Garner, who had a room called “The Board of Education” where many would gather after hours to drink. Liquor would be smuggled past policemen and guards in briefcases. Cassiday’s base of operations, where he stored his illegally purchased booze, was the Cannon House Office Building. He managed to stay in business for five years before the Capital Police caught on to his activities.

How Did Prohibition in the United States Begin?

There was a good reason for many to push for prohibition, especially groups of women. At the time women had very few rights, and when some of their husbands took the much-needed paycheck and spent it on liquor, it made life more difficult. Liquor was often strong, and some women and children suffered domestic violence at the hands of drunk husbands. Many suffrage groups wanting women to have the ability to vote also had ties with prohibition groups.

While prohibition did cut down on some alcohol related deaths, it brought about other problems. Many tried to get around the rules by distilling their own liquor, which could have disastrous consequences if it wasn’t made correctly or ended up as a dangerously high proof. The illegal distribution of alcohol and rise in bootlegging also increased gangster activities, corrupt politicians, and police.

Despite their best efforts of limiting the ability to produce and serve alcohol, it didn’t work. Besides bootleggers like Cassiday who supplied certain clients they also served bars. Since places couldn’t operate the same way, they had to hide and use codes and word of mouth to find. Enter the speakeasy.

The only kind of alcohol that was allowed at the time was a small amount for religious purposes—wine for communion, and some sold by druggists as medicine. This wasn’t enough to keep people from seeking out alternative sources. While moonshine was an option there were still dangers in some homemade brews.

Speakeasies had many names, including “gin joints” and “blind pigs.” They were dark, in places off the street like backrooms or basements, they were also more glamorous options that offer reminders of the parties in The Great Gatsby. Jazz played in the clubs as they competed to be the place to be and drink. They were often found by word of mouth, and a closely guarded secret to avoid potential raids. Some famous speakeasies in history include the 112 Club, Krazy Kat, Cotton Club, and Tobacco Road among others.

How Did George Cassiday Get Caught?

Cassiday was arrested a couple of times. The first time was in 1925 and he was banned from the House. When he was arrested it was reported that he was wearing a green felt hat. hence the later infamous nickname, ‘the man in the green hat’. This didn’t stop his bootlegging and he moved to the Russell Senate Office Building.

Cassiday was arrested again in 1930. He received a felony conviction and served 18 months. Even then he got off easy. At night he was able to “sign out” and go home to sleep, returning in the morning, so he never slept in jail.

Despite having a “black book” that detailed his clients and his knowledge of those breaking the law, Cassiday never used this information. Although he hinted that many of those drinking alcohol supplied by him were a part of Congress, names were never released. He died in 1967 and his secrets died with him when his second wife destroyed the “black book.”

It wasn’t until 1933 that President Franklin Roosevelt legalized the making and consumption of beer, as long as it was under 3.2% in alcohol content. Later that year on December 5, the 21st Amendment repealed the Eighteenth Amendment and alcohol was again legal to drink, produce, and import. Today there is a distillery that makes Green Hat Gin, inspired by the man in the green hat. Besides selling the gin they tell stories about the life of Cassiday, as well as offering up various cocktail recipes.