Free State of Galveston success of these vice industries attracted mobsters such as New York's Albert Anastasia and Chicago's Al Capone, who tried to enter Galveston's market without success. Capone's enforcer Frank Nitti, in fact, had been a former partner of Galveston Downtown Gang leader Jack Nounes before the Maceo era. Galveston became a major port of entry for illegal liquor from Mexico and Canada, shipped through the Caribbean and distributed from the island throughout Texas and to other destinations. Galveston became the primary supplier for Houston, Dallas, Denver, St. Louis and Omaha; indeed some shipments reached as far north as Detroit. This traffic
Port of Galveston the Board of Trustees of the Galveston Wharves, as designated by the City Charter. The port is self-sustaining, and does not receive any taxpayer funding. The Port of Galveston consists of the Galveston Ship Channel, the south side of Pelican Island, the north side of Galveston Island and the entrance to Galveston Bay. The Galveston Channel has an authorized minimum depth of and is wide at its narrowest point. The port has 15-20 lines of business. In 2015, the eastern section of the port, ending at Pier 38, was dredged to a depth of . Siltation occurred at a faster