Nucky Johnson

Enoch Lewis "Nucky" Johnson (1883-1968) was an Atlantic City, New Jersey political boss, a Sheriff of Atlantic County, New Jersey, a businessman, a philanthropist and a crime boss, who was the leader of the corrupt political machine and criminal organization of the city from the 1910s up until his conviction and imprisonment for tax evasion on 1941.

7 quotes found

"We have whisky, wine, women, song and slot machines. I won't deny it and I won't apologize for it. If the majority of the people didn't want them they wouldn't be profitable and they would not exist. The fact that they do exist proves to me that the people want them."

"When I live well, everybody lives well."

"He’s a windbag who a dumb broad has played for a sucker."

"If we only elected good men, we'd never have good leaders."

"Ordinary [men] avoid troubles, extraordinary [men] turn 'em to their advantage."

"Johnson was born to rule: He had flair, flamboyance, was politically amoral and ruthless, and had an eidetic memory for faces and names, and a natural gift of command ... [Johnson] had the reputation of being a trencherman, a hard drinker, a Herculean lover, an epicure, a sybaritic fancier of luxuries and all good things in life."

"I met him at his Silver Slipper Club in Atlantic City where I sometimes danced at special shows. I always found him to be a very nice and generous guy."