The sky was the limit, as the Mafia indulged in running alcohol, extortion, protection rackets, adn skimming from Las Vegas casinos. The Cream City had its crooked lawyers, corrupt cops, and even a mayor on the take. There was the blood of those who dared to stand in the syndicate's way, who were found dead in ditches or as victims of car bombs. While now considered extinct, the Milwaukee Family was once a dominant force in the Midwest.

Sheboygan, Wisconsin is a city defined by water. Situated on the western shore of Lake Michigan at the point where the Sheboygan River empties into the lake, life in the city has always revolved around water. Immigration brought new Wisconsinites via the Great Lakes. Product from Sheboygan's booming furniture industry left the city via the river and then Lake Michigan for markets elsewhere. Coal and salt moved around the world from C. Reiss Coal Company for decades via Lake Michigan. Today, the water is the center of the region's recreation and tourism industry. This brief history touches on the many facets of Sheboygan, its river and its lake.

The untold stories of the tranquil town of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, that have been swept under the rug or lost over the years. Sheboygan deserves its reputation as a conservative city clean, quiet and law-abiding. But here are some stories that have been swept under the rug or lost overboard. Venture into the mists of the "Lake Michigan Triangle" that have swallowed boats, planes and entire tribes. Investigate speakeasy shootings, safes burgled by a fly swatter, poisoned Christmas candy, flaming shipwrecks and the hoax that had militiamen firing on their own cattle. Or just sit down with some bizarre anecdotes about a hometown you thought you knew, from the town's first baseball game to the man freed from jail by a jug of whiskey to the deputy sheriff who had to enforce Nicholas Hoffman's first bath in 50 years.

This collection of stories, images, ads, news articles and factoids is designed to give you an introductory look at the local history of the 1920s and 1930s in Sheboygan County. It deals with vice- Prohibition, prostitution, gambling, raids on stills and crime over two decades. It is by no means comprehensive and much of what has been collected is story. This is meant to be fun and informative -- a great conversation starter.