Young Writers Society

The 1920's brought many Progressive reforms to the United States. The reforms were a result of industrialization, urbanization, and immigration. Progressivism also brought the temperence movement to the United States. The sale and use of drinking alcohol became illegal when the 18th amendment was signed into the constitution.

During the 1920's Italians were still streaming off the boats into the harbor of New York. Among these immigrants was a man named Salvador Rossi who had great ambitions of his new life in America. Salvador 's family came with him which included five brothers and three sisters.

Salvador had greater hopes for his life than any other immigrants coming off the boat into America. Sal's father was wine maker in the old country and had taught him everything he knew. Sal figured he would start a bar where ever he ended up.

Once of the boat Sal's family was offered a job mining coal in West Virginia. This was no the job Sal wanted but because he had no money he tool the job. The rest of Sal's family also took the job. The man who gave them the job fronted them the money for them to make the trip to West Virginia. They would work off the money in mines.

When they arrived in the town where the mine was Sal and his family started to work. It was not long until Sal was persecuted because he was Italian and not native to America. The mine owners would send him and the rest of his brothers into the mines. When they came out the owners would not pay them their days pay. Sal quickly became tired of this.

An old man from the mine gave Sal an idea. The old man said there was great possibilities in distilling moonshine. He taught Sal everything he needed to know about making moonshine. Sal soon after went to the mine and stole what he needed to distill moonshine.

Sal needed to find someone who would distribute the moonshine. This was easily solved by visiting his cousin in Baltimore. His cousin would bring bring a truck into West Virginia twice a month and bring the moonshine into Baltimore. This soon gave Sal more money than he had ever seen. The only problem was the rival moonshiners in the county.

Sal had left Vesceppi his little brother to watch over the distillery and jugs while he went to but supplies. When Sal came back he found Vesceppi dead with his throat sliced and his moonshine on fire. Sal knew there was only one group who would have done this. It was the other moonshiners in the county who had become mad because of the competition.

Sal set out for revenge with his other brothers and a few hired hands. They grabbed all the weapons they had which included a few shotguns, rifles, a pistol. Sal was not fond of killing but he knew what had to be done. Sal and the men set out along the river to the other moonshiners camp. They finally arrived at the camp at night.

Sal waited for morning and climbed over the hill that overlooked the camp. He counted twenty men at work on the distillery. Him and his men were greatly out numbered, but they had the element of suprise on thier side. Sal assembled his men and told him his plan. They would creep along the river and enter the camp at the closest part to the river with cover.

Sal and the men moved back down the hill and back along the river. The men waited for Sal's move. Sal took one more last deep breath and moved his hat on his head. Then Sal jumped up and was followed by the men. They ran toward the camp with diligence. The first man who saw them stopped what he was doing and grabbed for a shotgun. Sal shot him with the pistol in his hand.

After killing seven more men the rest of the moonshiners surrendered. Sal now had to decide what to do the men who had surrendered. Sal was a generous man so he gave them the option of working for him or be shot. They all chose the first option. What Sal found was a distillery twice the size of his and around 100 jugs of moonshine. This made Salvador Rossi one of the biggest moonshiners in West Virginia which would bring in more customers and new enemies.