Luxury Lockup

The TRUE STORY of a Shady Character's Rise to Sheriff in Boston: A Cautionary Tale

In a twist of fate, the incumbent sheriff in Boston suffered a heart attack and died on election night, paving the way for a shady character, Johnny Dowd, to become the new sheriff of Suffolk County. What could possibly go wrong? Everything, as it turned out.

Entrusting the keys to Fort Knox to John Dillinger would have been a better decision than making Johnny Dowd the Sheriff of Suffolk County. Prisoners soon took control of the jail, with the door between the female and male sections opened, allowing inmates to enjoy conjugal visits in their cells. The jail became a 24/7 open facility, and Johnny Dowd even turned the infirmary into a casino, complete with table games, dice, and a high-stakes poker game that ran around the clock.

The prisoners were even allowed to take cabs to play golf at a nearby course. Unsatisfied with the level of chaos, Johnny Dowd opened a high-end restaurant and nightclub within the jail, inviting the public to stop by after the legitimate bars had closed for the night.

Feeling confident in his ability to run the jail as a personal fiefdom, Johnny Dowd hit upon the idea of renting jail cells to criminals on the lam from Chicago and New York. After all, who would ever think to look for a fugitive in a jail? The accommodations were first-class, with Chicago mobster Easy Eddie O'Hare renting a cell to hide out from Al Capone's gunmen, and New York mobsters renting cells and opening a laundry in downtown Boston, using the jail's washing machines, soap, and water.

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and Johnny Dowd's reign of terror was no exception. He was eventually indicted, leading to a two-year manhunt worthy of the Keystone Kops. This true story of a crooked sheriff turning Boston's City Jail into a luxury hotel for criminals is a cautionary tale of the dangers of unchecked corruption and the unintended consequences that can arise when the wrong person is entrusted with power.

Ironically, the very structure that Johnny Dowd turned into a haven for criminals is now preserved as one of Boston's finest luxury hotels, a testament to the enduring resilience of the city and a reminder that even the darkest chapters can ultimately lead to something greater. Johnny Dowd's vision, albeit twisted, may have been ahead of its time, proving that sometimes even the most disreputable individuals can unwittingly pave the way for progress.

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