George Remus

George Remus
George Remus
Born	13 November 1876 (age 150); Landsberg, Germany
Died	20 January 1952 (aged 75)
Occupation(s)	Attorney, bootlegger, pharmacist
Years active	Early 1900s–1927
Known for	Bootlegging during Prohibition; murder trial of his wife Imogene

George Remus (November 13, 1876 – January 20, 1952) was a German-born American attorney and bootlegger who rose to prominence during the early phase of Prohibition. He later became infamous for the murder of his wife, Imogene.

Early life

Born in Landsberg, Germany, to parents Frank and Marie Remus, he emigrated to the United States in 1882. His family initially resided in Maryland and Wisconsin before relocating to Chicago in 1885. At the age of 14, due to his father's inability to work, Remus supported his family by assisting at his uncle's pharmacy. After completing studies at the Chicago College of Pharmacy at 19, he earned his pharmacist certification and acquired his first pharmacy business by age 21. In 1899, he married Lillian Klauff.

Over the next five years, Remus expanded his pharmaceutical ventures but grew dissatisfied with the long hours. By 24, he had shifted career paths towards law, laying the groundwork for his future success in the profitable bootlegging industry.

Career

Remus pursued legal studies at the Illinois College of Law (which later merged with DePaul University College of Law) and was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1904. He focused on criminal defense, particularly homicide cases, gaining recognition for his role in the 1914 William Cheney Ellis murder trial where he introduced the "transitory insanity" defense—now referred to as "temporary insanity." By 1920, his annual income reached $500,000, a substantial sum equivalent to roughly $ today.

Following the enactment of the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act that established Prohibition in 1920, Remus observed that many of his criminal clients profited from illicit alcohol distribution. Capitalizing on this, he transitioned into bootlegging himself. Leveraging his legal knowledge, he exploited a loophole permitting him to purchase distilleries and pharmacies licensed to produce bonded liquor for medicinal purposes. His workforce then diverted this liquor into illegal markets. Moving operations to Cincinnati, close to where approximately 80% of America's bonded whiskey was produced, he acquired control over most local distilleries. Within two years, he managed and sold about one-seventh of all bonded liquor nationwide. Alongside associate George Conners, Remus accumulated $40 million and employed nearly 3,000 individuals within three years. His holdings included prominent distilleries such as Fleischmann Distillery. Communities like Newport, Kentucky emerged as centers for drinking and gambling under his influence.

One notable fortified site was the "Death Valley Farm" distillery located in Westwood, Cincinnati, which he purchased from George Gehrum. Although accessible only by a dirt road, this facility at 2656 Queen City Ave concealed sophisticated features: distillation took place in the attic with a dumbwaiter system for lowering products, while a trap door in the basement led to an underground tunnel measuring between 50 and 100 feet in length and situated six feet below ground level.

Dubbed the "King of the Bootleggers," Remus was also known for extravagant entertaining. In 1923, he organized a birthday celebration for his wife Imogene that included aquatic dancers and a fifteen-piece orchestra. Local children regarded him as a paternal figure. His New Year's Eve party at the Marble Palace mansion in 1922 hosted 100 distinguished couples; male guests received diamond stickpins while female attendees were gifted automobiles. A comparable event held in 1923 saw each woman present receive a brand-new car despite ongoing legal challenges from authorities.

Family life

Remus wed Lillian Klauff on July 20, 1899. Their daughter, Romola Remus, born in 1900, gained recognition as a child actress and notably portrayed cinema's inaugural Dorothy Gale in the 1908 short film The Wizard of Oz at just eight years old. The couple divorced in 1920 after Remus commenced a relationship with his legal secretary, Augusta Imogene Holmes (née Brown). Holmes, herself a divorcée with a daughter, married Remus in June 1920 in Newport, Kentucky.

Legal issues

In 1925, Remus faced indictment for numerous breaches of the Volstead Act. Following a rapid jury conviction, he received a two-year federal prison sentence for bootlegging activities. While serving time at Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, he confided to an undercover prohibition agent and fellow inmate, Franklin Dodge, that his wife managed his finances. Subsequently, Dodge resigned and entered into an affair with Holmes; together they liquidated Remus's holdings and sold his Fleischmann Distillery. Despite the vast fortune Remus had amassed, Holmes provided him with only $100. They also sought to have him deported and commissioned a hitman for $15,000 to eliminate him; however, the assassin disclosed the scheme to Remus instead.

In late 1927, Imogene Holmes initiated divorce proceedings. On October 6 of that year, while traveling to court to finalize their divorce in Cincinnati’s Eden Park, Remus forced her taxi off the road and fatally shot her. The prosecution was led by Charles Phelps Taft II, son of former President William Howard Taft. The trial attracted nationwide attention as Remus chose to represent himself alongside attorney Charles Elston. His stepdaughter testified against him, alleging abuse. Claiming temporary insanity triggered by his wife's betrayal—a defense he had previously employed—the jury acquitted him after only nineteen minutes of deliberation. Although Ohio authorities briefly committed him to a mental institution, conflicting psychiatric evaluations led to his release after seven months.

Later life and legacy

Following his discharge from the Lima asylum, Remus informally mentored Cincinnati attorney William Foster Hopkins for approximately six years. He eventually relocated to Covington, Kentucky, where he lived quietly for two decades without further controversy. Remus married Blanche Watson, his longtime secretary, and managed a small business named Washington Contracting until he suffered a stroke in August 1950. His final two years were spent under nursing care in a Covington boarding house before passing away on January 20, 1952, aged 75. He was buried alongside his third wife at Riverside Cemetery in Falmouth, Kentucky.

Remus is occasionally cited as an inspiration for The Great Gatsby, though the character may also draw from individuals such as Arnold Rothstein.

In popular culture

Remus was featured in Ken Burns' 2011 documentary Prohibition, with actor Paul Giamatti narrating excerpts from his writings. In HBO's Boardwalk Empire, starting from season two, he was portrayed by Glenn Fleshler, who notably depicted Remus referring to himself in the third person—a distinctive personal trait.

External links

Mary Chenoweth, "The Inside Account of George Remus—'Bootleg King'," True Detective Mysteries, February 1929. [1]
David Willis McCullough (February 17, 2002). ["The Bootlegger's Wife"](https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9500E2DD173CF934A25751C0A9649C8B63). The New York Times.
["Law: American Justice"](https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,723413,00.html), Time, January 2, 1928.
Bryan Meade (February 2003). ["Gangsters in Our Own Back Yard"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070224135845/http://newporthighschool.org/gangsters.htm). Better Living Magazine.
George Remus Memorial, Find a Grave.