Milwaukee PBS Premieres Al Capone – Prohibition & Wisconsin
Filmmakers Bring Light to New Angle for Documentary
Milwaukee PBS premieres a new documentary that showcases Al Capone’s connection to Wisconsin. Al Capone: Prohibition & Wisconsin premieres on Monday, January 29, at 8:00 pm, on Milwaukee PBS 10.1.
Filmmakers Brian Ewig and Traci Neuman examined new photographs and correspondence that reveal not only personal friendships and a more playful side of Al Capone, but that he was trying to purchase property in the north woods of Wisconsin. The half-hour documentary features the family Al Capone was writing to, and the story of how they found out their grandfather was friends with one of the most infamous men in American History. The documentary also highlights personal stories from Al Capone’s oldest living granddaughter, Diane Capone. After living her whole life without revealing her family history, Capone has decided to finally tell the true stories of her grandfather.
According to Ewig the new letters the Manitowish Waters Historical Society have speak to Al Capone’s vast moonshine operation, including small towns in Northern Wisconsin. “In the late 1920s and into the 1930s residents of these small towns were dealing with the Great Depression, and moonshining was a way to make a living,” Ewig said. “Milwaukee PBS provides a unique platform for preserving local history through storytelling.”
Milwaukee PBS VP and General Manager Debbie Hamlett said that diving deep into a subject and finding something new is what Milwaukee PBS does so well. “We are excited to present this new look at a well-known subject to our viewers,” Hamlett said. “In-depth storytelling is at the heart of what Milwaukee PBS strives to bring to our viewers.”
In addition to the documentary, viewers can learn more about this era at milwaukeepbs.org/prohibition/. Topics include Becoming the Brew City, Survival of the Breweries, Milwaukee Underground and more.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by Milwaukee PBS
Violent Femmes 40th Anniversary with the Milwaukee Symphony to Air Nationally on PBS December, 2024
Oct 30th, 2024 by Milwaukee PBSMILWAUKEE; October 30, 2024 – On December 13, 2024, the Milwaukee PBS production of the Emmy nominated Violent Femmes 40th Anniversary with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra will air nationally on PBS stations across the country. This concert is a celebration of the Violent Femmes iconic debut self-titled album and greatest hits including “Blister in the Sun,” “Kiss Off,” “Add It Up” and “Gone Daddy Gone” along with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. The Violent Femmes are an American folk punk band who began playing acoustic punk on the streets of Milwaukee. They were discovered in 1981 while busking outside the Oriental Theatre where the Pretenders were playing later that evening. The lead singer, Chrissie Hynde invited them to play a brief acoustic set after the opening act. Gordon Gano, the lead vocalist & guitar player was still in high school when he wrote all of the songs for the Violent Femmes’ first album. Today, the Violent Femmes consist of founding members Gordon Gano and Brian Ritchie, joined by multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza and drummer John Sparrow. This concert with the Violent Femmes and the Milwaukee Symphony was produced and recorded by Milwaukee PBS at the Bradley Symphony Center on October 3, 2023. It will air on Milwaukee PBS on Friday, December 13, 2024 at 8pm, with an encore broadcast the same evening at 9:15pm on Milwaukee PBS Channel 10. “We’re excited to share this incredible concert with our audience as well as PBS stations around the country” said Debbie Hamlett, General Manager of Milwaukee PBS. “Listening to this amazing music with a “backup” symphony is an experience I hope you’ll never forget!” There will be a public sneak preview at the Oriental Theatre, where it all began, in Milwaukee on December 3rd. The screening is free and open to the public but you must reserve your seat, register at MilwaukeePBS.org/events. Doors open at 6:30pm About Milwaukee PBS Milwaukee PBS is southeastern Wisconsin’s premier non-commercial media organization. It consists of two high-definition television stations, WMVS and WMVT, and four additional digital television services. Milwaukee PBS is one of the most-watched public television stations in the nation. For more information, visit www.MilwaukeePBS.org.
Milwaukee PBS Premieres Al Capone – Prohibition & Wisconsin
Jan 22nd, 2024 by Milwaukee PBSFilmmakers Bring Light to New Angle for Documentary
