Rum row
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A rum row refers to any line of ships that anchored beyond the three mile limit near large U.S. cities on the east coast to off-load their cargoes of alcoholic beverages onto speed boats during national prohibition (1920-1933). This lucrative but dangerous business was often punctuated by murder, hijackings and other violent crimes.
The cities were often in Florida at first and the product was rum from the Caribbean. However, as the importation of whiskey from Canada increased, rum rows were commonly found off the coast of the northeast part of the U.S.
