Was There an AL Capone Connection to Waterloo?
During the American Prohibition era (1920–1933), the notorious Al Capone is said to have set up residences in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Now, for those of you who don’t go back that far in years or residency, here’s an interesting roomer that could very well be true.
Photoshopped Al Capone and two houses he owned in Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario, was home to the famous Kuntz Brewery (beer) and the now long-gone Seagram’s Distillery (whiskey). Since the U.S. was dry at that time and alcohol couldn’t be found anywhere south of the border, Al Capone was supposedly in the Waterloo region buying booze.
According to research, the area between Waterloo, Hamilton, and Toronto was a hub for U.S. underworld activity. All these bad guys wanted what we had for sale in this region. "Booze"
I'll go one step further with my story. This rumor was told by a reputable Waterloo taxi driver, and If true, the rest of the story goes this way; Al Capone had two houses in the area, not far from the distillery. I have no information about who built the houses, but apparently, they were side by side and a tunnel was secretly constructed between the two buildings for obvious reasons.
According to my research, there are no historical records anywhere indicating Capone was ever in the Waterloo region, let alone buying houses or booze from Seagram’s Distillery. Nevertheless, the roomer makes sense because he was into illegal activity, 'booze being one.'
Of course, the deciding factor for this cool roomer would be the tunnel. If these two houses have a tunnel between them, 'well then,' that could validate the claim.
Today, like yesterday, I’ll pass by the location of the two houses in question and I’ll think about knocking on the door to ask about the tunnel.
However, this is probably just a rumour told by an overworked Waterloo taxi driver. 'A neat story though.'
They say, 'If you haven't heard a roomer by 10 am, start one.'
Extra Note; Al Capone ruled an empire of crime; gambling, prostitution, and bootlegging among others in the US.