PROHIBITION ENDS TODAY IN NEW YORK CITY

Reise Org. VP Jamie Galler With Assembymen Andrew Raia, Richard Gottfried, Alfred E. Smith IV, Commissioner Brian G. Andersson, Micah Z. Kellner And Jeff Cohen Of FREE

Today we celebrated the end of prohibition at New York City's famed former speakeasy Frankie and Johnnies located at 269 West 45th Street in Manhattan. People were dressed in 1920's attire and there was periodic swing dancing and many New York VIP's. Frankie and Johnnies is one of three remaining original Speakeasies in New York City and one of the city's oldest continual dining establishments. Prohibition ended in the United States on December 5, 1933, when Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, repealing the 18th Amendment. Imagine the celebrations that went on across the nation that day. At the news conference, members of the hospitality industry celebrated this historic date, as well as announcing an upcoming "End of Prohibition" gala at Hawaiian Tropic donated by the Riese Organization in Times Square for over 400 people. The party will duplicate the nation's largest modern speakeasy to benefit local charities. The event will be free for any staff that works in restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, pubs, taverns in the City of New York. Prohibition from 1920-1933 banned the use of all alcohol in the United States. Those who wanted a cocktail during those dry years did so in establishments called "speakeasies." The term "speakeasy" comes from a patron's manner of ordering alcohol without raising suspicion -- a bartender would tell a patron to be quiet and "speakeasy." Frankie & Johnnies Steakhouse has been a celebrated New York fixture since 1926, having opened as a speakeasy at the height of Prohibition. To gain access, patrons knocked on an unmarked door and used the password "FRANKIE" when a small peephole was opened. With admittance, a confirmation reply of "JOHNNIE" was heard. The business began operation as a steakhouse when Prohibition was lifted 75 years ago. The gala will benefit Family Residences (FREE) and City Meals on Wheels
Photo By: James Edstrom