Kfai's Minneculture

Today on MinneCulture, we’re headed all the way back to 1900, when Minneapolis was a very different place than it is now. As the mill capital of the world, Minneapolis was packed to the brim with seasonal workers, thriving brothels, and scheming card sharks. But to Mayor Albert Alonzo Ames, it was just a piggy bank waiting to be smashed open. Over the course of a year and a half, Ames turned the Minneapolis Police Department into the most powerful crime ring the city had ever seen. KFAI's Tony Williams has the story. Support for MinneCulture on KFAI has been provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund. Season 7 of the MinneCulture podcast is edited and executive produced by Julie Censullo and hosted by John Gebretatose. Special Thanks: Erik Rivenes Diedre Hammond Adam Franti Sam Hills Julie Censullo Bibliography: The Shame of Minneapolis: The Ruin And Redemption of a City That Was Sold Out (1903) Lincoln Steffens Introduction by Mark Neuzil, Ph.D. for Minnesota Legal History