In the town of lawmaking, three brothers thrived in lawbreaking

Before Prohibition, Leo, Emmitt, and Charles Rags Warring worked as laborers in their father’s barrel shop. When the (illegal) booze started flowing, all three quickly got caught up in the wild and sometimes violent underworld of Washington, D.C. Their exploits-including a lucrative numbers racket, gangland shootings, and high-profile courtroom trials-created sensational headlines and thrust them into an unwanted spotlight. However, their continual efforts to stay one step ahead of local police, the Federal Government, and the U.S. Congress took a toll on their personal lives. The Foggy Bottom Gang is a true crime gangster tale about an overlooked chapter in the history of America’s capital city.

Leo Warring’s account of his family’s escapades in the world of bookmaking and bootlegging is an amazing compilation. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that the author was present for these court hearings or exchanges at bars and after-hours clubs. For a fun read, a page-turner, an insight into the ‘victimless crimes’ of the D.C. underworld, you need to read this book.

-William Brown, President of the Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of the District of Columbia (1999-2018)