Rum Runners Drown on Long Island: Coast Guard Claims Victory in 10-Year Bootlegging Battle

June 9, 1929 – The infamous ’10-year war’ between the Coast Guard and the rum runners along Long Island’s south shore has finally come to an end. The Coast Guard has emerged victorious, with the rum runners forced to abandon their lucrative operations. The war, which had been raging since 1919, was marked by intense battles between the Coast Guard’s fast boats and the rum runners’ speedsters.