In 1922, two years after the onset of prohibition, a couple of 20-something cousins named Jack Kriendler and Charlie Berns started an illegal drinking club. Their speakeasy was located in the heart of Greenwich Village in New York and was known as the Red Head. It became a popular go-to spot to drink without fear of the Feds… that was until an infamous raid in 1930.
It was then that the founders learned their lesson. They enlisted architect Frank Buchanan to create a system of hidden doors, quick-release bar shelves, and a secret wine cellar to help dodge the Feds in the case of future raids at their newly designed location at 21 West 52nd Street.
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