User talk:LancelotLoire

About "The Real McCoy"

Last time I checked, Prohibition took place between 1920-1933. It was already around for at least 10-20 years before Probition even started.

The origin of the idiom "the real McCoy" stems from prohibition era. As a rummrunner, William McCoy ferried alcohol illegally. Transporting $8 cases of the liquor from the Bahamas to Martha's Vineyard on his ship the Arethusa, he made $300,000 in profit for each trip. McCoy's liquor was genuine imported spirits — and not homemade swill or moonshine — but imitators tried to claim their illicit drink was "The Real McCoy."

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1864521_1864524_1864621,00.html#ixzz0oMCdfefL

Also to point out some small little tidbits. His ship was only named the Arethusa when he bought it. He personally named it the "Tomoka"