Wicked Palm Beach: Lifestyles of the Rich and Heinous

During the Prohibition era, the Royal Poinciana Hotel in Palm Beach featured a secret hallway that led to a clandestine speakeasy called Hypocrite’s Row. About the same time, the infamous Ashley gang, a ragtag band of violent criminals, had South Florida gripped in fear. Indeed, few eras in few places were as exciting, outrageous and tragic as the period between World War I and the hammer fall of the Great Depression, when Florida partied, passed out and woke up with one heck of a hangover. From rumrunners to pirates, mobsters to moguls, Palm Beach County has hosted its fair share of questionable characters over the decades. Meet the faces and places that have shaped Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast with renowned local author Eliot Kleinberg, who draws on his Post Time column in the Palm Beach Post to offer this unique glimpse into the extraordinary history of Palm Beach.