During the prohibition era, the Royal Poinciana Hotel in Palm Beach featured a secret hallway that led to a clandestine speakeasy called 'Hypocrite's Row.' About the same time, the infamous Ashley gang, a ragtag band of violent criminals, had South Florida gripped in fear. Indeed, few eras in few places were as exciting, outrageous and tragic as the period between World War I and the hammer fall of the Great Depression, when Florida partied, passed out and woke up with one heck of a hangover. From rumrunners to pirates, mobsters to moguls, Palm Beach County has hosted its fair share of questionable characters over the decades. Meet the faces and places that have shaped Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast with renowned local author Eliot Kleinberg, who draws on his 'Post Time' column in the "Palm Beach Post" to offer this unique glimpse into the extraordinary history of Palm Beach.

Eliot Kleinberg is a native of Florida and author of a number of books about Florida history, including Palm Beach Past: The Best of Post Time."? He has been writing for the Palm Beach Post for over twenty years, and he is a member of the Palm Beach County Historical Society, the South Florida Historical Society and the Florida Historical Society. He lives in Boca Raton with his wife and two son"