Bootlegger and philanthropist.
Born Mendel Gassel in Svinsk, Latvia in either 1900 or 1901, "Max Hassel" grew up in Reading, Pa. He was a newsboy as a young man. During prohibition, he became "the Beer Baron of Berks County". In the 1930 census, he said he was a "realtor". By 1933 Max was envisioning legal and undisguised control of breweries. Max visited the Harrison Brewery in Harrison New Jersey on April 12th 1933 then returned to his suite at the Elizabeth Carteret Hotel in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was fatally shot there in room 824 along with Max Greenberg at about 4:30 PM. This was only 5 days after the repeal of prohibition (for beer) on Apr 7th 1933. Max and his family contributed to many charities in Berks County. He is buried near Grill, Pa. He and his representatives had interests in many breweries including the following which I have researched and documented:
1. Briggs (Elmira NY),
2. Camden (Camden NJ),
3. Canavan Leggett or Riverview(Niagara Fls),
4. Columbia (Columbia PA),
5. Deppen Manufacturing (Reading PA),
6. Eagle (Catasauqua PA),
7. Eureka (Sprattler & Mennel) (Paterson NJ),
8. Fisher (Reading PA),
9. Fuhrman & Schmidt (F&S) (Shamokin PA),
10. Harrison (Harrison NJ),
11. Health Bev (Reading Brg) (Reading PA),
12. Hensler (Newark NJ),
13. Howell and King or Liberty (Pittston PA),
14. Lauer (Reading PA),
15. Lebanon Valley (Lebanon PA),
16. Liberty (Tamaqua PA),
17. Rieker (Lancaster PA),
18. Rising Sun (Elizabeth NJ),
19. Seitz (Easton PA),
20. Superior Bev (Sprenger) (Lancaster PA),
21. Superior Manufacturing Co (Newark NJ),
22. Union Brewery (Newark NJ),
23. Union City Brewery (Union City NJ),
He and his associates may also have had interests in breweries located in Buffalo and Syracuse New York, Delaware, and Maryland. Information from "Bootlegger Max Hassel The Millionaire Newsboy" (Taggert), American Breweries II (Van Wieren), Reading, Lancaster, and other newspapers and city directories, and original research done by Tom Raub.
Submitted by Tom Raub
Born Mendel Gassel in Svinsk, Latvia in either 1900 or 1901, "Max Hassel" grew up in Reading, Pa. He was a newsboy as a young man. During prohibition, he became "the Beer Baron of Berks County". In the 1930 census, he said he was a "realtor". By 1933 Max was envisioning legal and undisguised control of breweries. Max visited the Harrison Brewery in Harrison New Jersey on April 12th 1933 then returned to his suite at the Elizabeth Carteret Hotel in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was fatally shot there in room 824 along with Max Greenberg at about 4:30 PM. This was only 5 days after the repeal of prohibition (for beer) on Apr 7th 1933. Max and his family contributed to many charities in Berks County. He is buried near Grill, Pa. He and his representatives had interests in many breweries including the following which I have researched and documented:
1. Briggs (Elmira NY),
2. Camden (Camden NJ),
3. Canavan Leggett or Riverview(Niagara Fls),
4. Columbia (Columbia PA),
5. Deppen Manufacturing (Reading PA),
6. Eagle (Catasauqua PA),
7. Eureka (Sprattler & Mennel) (Paterson NJ),
8. Fisher (Reading PA),
9. Fuhrman & Schmidt (F&S) (Shamokin PA),
10. Harrison (Harrison NJ),
11. Health Bev (Reading Brg) (Reading PA),
12. Hensler (Newark NJ),
13. Howell and King or Liberty (Pittston PA),
14. Lauer (Reading PA),
15. Lebanon Valley (Lebanon PA),
16. Liberty (Tamaqua PA),
17. Rieker (Lancaster PA),
18. Rising Sun (Elizabeth NJ),
19. Seitz (Easton PA),
20. Superior Bev (Sprenger) (Lancaster PA),
21. Superior Manufacturing Co (Newark NJ),
22. Union Brewery (Newark NJ),
23. Union City Brewery (Union City NJ),
He and his associates may also have had interests in breweries located in Buffalo and Syracuse New York, Delaware, and Maryland. Information from "Bootlegger Max Hassel The Millionaire Newsboy" (Taggert), American Breweries II (Van Wieren), Reading, Lancaster, and other newspapers and city directories, and original research done by Tom Raub.
Submitted by Tom Raub
Bootlegger and philanthropist.
Born Mendel Gassel in Svinsk, Latvia in either 1900 or 1901, "Max Hassel" grew up in Reading, Pa. He was a newsboy as a young man. During prohibition, he became "the Beer Baron of Berks County". In the 1930 census, he said he was a "realtor". By 1933 Max was envisioning legal and undisguised control of breweries. Max visited the Harrison Brewery in Harrison New Jersey on April 12th 1933 then returned to his suite at the Elizabeth Carteret Hotel in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was fatally shot there in room 824 along with Max Greenberg at about 4:30 PM. This was only 5 days after the repeal of prohibition (for beer) on Apr 7th 1933. Max and his family contributed to many charities in Berks County. He is buried near Grill, Pa. He and his representatives had interests in many breweries including the following which I have researched and documented:
1. Briggs (Elmira NY),
2. Camden (Camden NJ),
3. Canavan Leggett or Riverview(Niagara Fls),
4. Columbia (Columbia PA),
5. Deppen Manufacturing (Reading PA),
6. Eagle (Catasauqua PA),
7. Eureka (Sprattler & Mennel) (Paterson NJ),
8. Fisher (Reading PA),
9. Fuhrman & Schmidt (F&S) (Shamokin PA),
10. Harrison (Harrison NJ),
11. Health Bev (Reading Brg) (Reading PA),
12. Hensler (Newark NJ),
13. Howell and King or Liberty (Pittston PA),
14. Lauer (Reading PA),
15. Lebanon Valley (Lebanon PA),
16. Liberty (Tamaqua PA),
17. Rieker (Lancaster PA),
18. Rising Sun (Elizabeth NJ),
19. Seitz (Easton PA),
20. Superior Bev (Sprenger) (Lancaster PA),
21. Superior Manufacturing Co (Newark NJ),
22. Union Brewery (Newark NJ),
23. Union City Brewery (Union City NJ),
He and his associates may also have had interests in breweries located in Buffalo and Syracuse New York, Delaware, and Maryland. Information from "Bootlegger Max Hassel The Millionaire Newsboy" (Taggert), American Breweries II (Van Wieren), Reading, Lancaster, and other newspapers and city directories, and original research done by Tom Raub.
Submitted by Tom Raub
Born Mendel Gassel in Svinsk, Latvia in either 1900 or 1901, "Max Hassel" grew up in Reading, Pa. He was a newsboy as a young man. During prohibition, he became "the Beer Baron of Berks County". In the 1930 census, he said he was a "realtor". By 1933 Max was envisioning legal and undisguised control of breweries. Max visited the Harrison Brewery in Harrison New Jersey on April 12th 1933 then returned to his suite at the Elizabeth Carteret Hotel in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was fatally shot there in room 824 along with Max Greenberg at about 4:30 PM. This was only 5 days after the repeal of prohibition (for beer) on Apr 7th 1933. Max and his family contributed to many charities in Berks County. He is buried near Grill, Pa. He and his representatives had interests in many breweries including the following which I have researched and documented:
1. Briggs (Elmira NY),
2. Camden (Camden NJ),
3. Canavan Leggett or Riverview(Niagara Fls),
4. Columbia (Columbia PA),
5. Deppen Manufacturing (Reading PA),
6. Eagle (Catasauqua PA),
7. Eureka (Sprattler & Mennel) (Paterson NJ),
8. Fisher (Reading PA),
9. Fuhrman & Schmidt (F&S) (Shamokin PA),
10. Harrison (Harrison NJ),
11. Health Bev (Reading Brg) (Reading PA),
12. Hensler (Newark NJ),
13. Howell and King or Liberty (Pittston PA),
14. Lauer (Reading PA),
15. Lebanon Valley (Lebanon PA),
16. Liberty (Tamaqua PA),
17. Rieker (Lancaster PA),
18. Rising Sun (Elizabeth NJ),
19. Seitz (Easton PA),
20. Superior Bev (Sprenger) (Lancaster PA),
21. Superior Manufacturing Co (Newark NJ),
22. Union Brewery (Newark NJ),
23. Union City Brewery (Union City NJ),
He and his associates may also have had interests in breweries located in Buffalo and Syracuse New York, Delaware, and Maryland. Information from "Bootlegger Max Hassel The Millionaire Newsboy" (Taggert), American Breweries II (Van Wieren), Reading, Lancaster, and other newspapers and city directories, and original research done by Tom Raub.
Submitted by Tom Raub
