At 2619 Lake Shore Blvd West is a home that was the original McGuinness Residence.
Larry McGuinness began in the distillery business in 1905, but made his money as a bootlegger and rumrunner who exported liquor into the United States during Prohibition. At the height of Prohibition, he and his partner Harry Hatch, controlled all traffic in liquor along the west end of Lake Ontario. By the time Prohibition was over McGuinness was a very wealthy man. He would use the profits to build a much larger estate a few lots to the east in 1927.
This actually wasn't the 'original' McGuinness residence. Larry and Florence McGuinness first lived at 17 Withrow Ave. in Toronto, next door to my grandparents, Frank 'Red' and Annie Gallagher. Grandpa was a boxer and used to take L.J. across the US border with him in the late 1910s-early 1920s as part of his boxing entourage so Larry could conduct his liquor business.
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