The O'Connell Family and Albany's Underworld

The O''Connell family, with Dan at the helm, ran Albany, New York from the late 1920''s to the late 1950''s by selling their illegal beer and using the proceeds to help local politicians get elected and also feed the people of Albany. All one had to do is vote the way he wanted.

John Oley's Kidnapping and the Brewing Business

His friend and local mobster John Oley needed money to go into the brewing business himself as prohibition came to a close, so he kidnapped Dan''s nephew, and wanted to use the ransom to pay for his own brewing operation.

Legal Changes in Kidnapping Laws

In the 1930''s kidnapping was punishable by jail time only, unless one killed the victim as in the Lindbergh case. Upon learning of the betrayal Dan pulls strings to make kidnapping a Federal offense with long prison terms coupled with the possibility of the death penalty for the shear act of kidnapping. Mobsters could no longer avoid punishment by crossing state lines and could face the death penalty regardless if the victim was returned alive or not.