The Free State of Galveston: While America fell into depression, Galveston poured another round.

Two Sicilian barbers built an empire of vice, transforming Galveston into the "Free State" where prohibition laws and moral restrictions held no power for decades.

• Texas and national prohibition in the 1920s created a black market for liquor, gambling and prostitution
• Galveston's position on the Gulf of Mexico made it ideal for smuggling and vice operations
• Sicilian immigrants Rose and Sam Maceo rose from barbers to powerful underworld figures
• The Hollywood Dinner Club (1926) and Balinese Room (1942) became world-renowned entertainment venues
• The Maceos maintained order, invested in the community, and kept Galveston economically thriving during the Depression
• The Texas Rangers finally ended the era in 1957 with a brilliant strategy—simply sitting in establishments every night for 2.5 years

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