Bootleggers

Bootleggers were individuals or groups that illegally produced, transported, and sold alcohol, especially during the Prohibition era in the United States (1920-1933). They operated outside the law to meet the high demand for alcohol when it was banned, often smuggling liquor from other countries or secretively distilling it. Bootlegging contributed to organized crime and corruption, as illegal operations became highly profitable. The term now broadly refers to those engaged in unauthorized distribution of alcohol or similar illegal activities.