Haunting footage reveals the wrecked party boat where Al Capone’s guests enjoyed booze-filled parties during Prohibition.
Built in 1889 as a lumber shop, Keuka changed hands in 1928 and was soon transformed into a floating dance hall with live music and a bar.
And the man who kept the booze going was none other than notorious mobster Al Capone, according to local reports.
But misfortune followed the Keuka – her driver was shot dead by a drunken patron and the ship mysteriously sank in August 1932.
Haunting footage reveals wrecked party boat where Al Capone guests enjoyed booze-fueled parties during prohibition
Built in 1889 as a wooden barge, the Keuka changed hands in 1928 and was soon transformed into a floating dance hall with live music and a bar
Now the wreckage has been revealed in eerie new footage.
Chris Roxburgh documented the vessel below the surface of Lake Charlevoix, Michigan during a visit with dive partner Lee Rosenberg.
He said: “My belief and local knowledge is that Capone and his men provided this casino ship during the time it was in operation during the Prohibition period, 1929-1932.
‘Capone had a house near Charlevoix and is said to have seen him again in those years. He had several “hideouts in northern Michigan” – just a short drive from Chicago.
“Rumor has it that after the ship’s driver was shot dead on board, the ship was sunk by a local church group fed up with the devilish parties, the alcohol, the music, the drinks and the women.”
He continued: “Dive into this wreck and I imagine what it was like in 1929, when parties and gambling were rampant and the alcohol flowed like a river.
“Inside the ship consists of long open spaces as the ship is 200 feet long and more than two stories high.
“The floodlights shine through the portholes and cast shadows that move as we move through the party ship.
“The wreck is intact and upright with good lighting and very clear water. It lurks terrifyingly beneath the surface and has many stories to tell.”
The ship’s reputation as a speakeasy was well established.
Chris Roxburgh documented the vessel beneath the surface of Lake Charlevoix, Michigan during a visit with dive buddy Lee Rosenberg
The ship was “one of those places during prohibition where everybody knew you could have a drink,” reports Michigan’s Northern Express newspaper.
During Prohibition, it was “one of those places where everybody knew you could have a drink,” reports Michigan’s Northern Express newspaper.
And from the middle of Lake Charlevoix she had a vantage point for any approach to avoid surprises from the police.
“I imagine someone was being paid – everyone could hear and see the parties from the beach,” Mr Roxburgh said.
But things were anything but smooth for Keuka.
From the middle of Lake Charlevoix, the ship had a vantage point over each approach to avoid police surprises
The ship was old and in such poor condition that it reportedly had to be pumped out daily, with a man hired to do the job who was reportedly paid in whiskey.
She was old and so decrepit that she reportedly had to be pumped out daily, with a man hired for the job who was reportedly paid in whiskey.
Then, on New Year’s Day 1931, a story broke that sealed their fate.
Ed Latham, the ship’s driver, was shot and killed by a drunk customer, The Boyne Citizen, a Boyne City newspaper on the southeast shore of the lake, said.
The fate of the shooter and his victim is unclear, but it apparently prompted Captain JH Gallagher to close the store.
The Keuka sank the following year.
Alphonse Capone (pictured in his 1939 mugshot) is probably the most famous or infamous gangster in American history
A contemporary account of the sinking, quoted by the Northern Express, failed to explain how it happened.
It said: “The Keuka sailed safely on Saturday and there was no indication that she would be found at the bottom of the lake a few hours later.
“Nonetheless, something happened and the boat sank.
“There was a reason for the changed circumstances, but at this stage the reason is undetermined and a subject of public conjecture.”
Today, the Keuka lies at a depth of 15 meters, not far from the town of Charlevoix.
Al Capone: the most notorious gangster in American history
Alphonse Capone is perhaps the most famous or infamous gangster in American history
Alphonse Capone is perhaps the most famous or infamous gangster in American history.
Capone grew up in New York City and was active in the Five Points Gang, a mostly younger Italian-American criminal enterprise in Manhattan that also graduated famous mobsters such as Charlie “Lucky” Luciano and Johnny Torrio.
In New York, Capone suffered a facial wound during a brawl in a brothel, earning him the nickname “Scarface.”
From 1925 to 1929, Capone was America’s most notorious gangster.
Increasing mob violence in Chicago culminated in the Valentine’s Day Massacre on February 14, 1929.
Although Capone was at his vacation home near Miami at the time of the massacre and was never arrested for the crime, he was widely suspected of ordering the massacre.
The Valentine’s Day massacre occurred just a month before Capone was arrested by federal agents for contempt of court for failing to comply with a federal subpoena, and he was eventually sentenced to six months on those charges.
But before he could serve his contempt sentence, Capone and his bodyguard were arrested in Philadelphia for carrying concealed weapons. Capone was sentenced to one year in the Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania.
He served nine months, earned leave for good behavior, and was released in March 1930.
On October 18, 1931, Capone was sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion.
Capone was infected with syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that was incurable in advanced cases.
By the time he left Alcatraz in 1939, the disease had seriously affected his mental and physical health. Doctors reported that in 1939, Capone had the cognitive processes of a 12-year-old child.
He essentially retired with his family to his home in Florida, where he died in 1947 at the age of 48.
Source: The Mob Museum
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James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
