Ok, so we have Joe Cenatiempo who lived with his parents as of the 1910 census, in St. Louis on Graham St. You can look back at my post called 'Welcome Home' to see the record. From what I can tell this home served as a boarding house and was also shared with other Italian immigrants during that time. One of the immigrants was named Bill. Joe's parents were Frank and Rosa Cenatiempo. Apparently he owned an entertainment establishment/saloon called Joe's Place at the age of 21. Joe's place was fined in 1928 and Joe was put in the St. Charles County Jail for 42 days for being in violation of the Volstead Act. The Volstead Act went into effect making it illegal for anyone to manufacture, sell, purchase, drink, or possess alcoholic beverages. Prohibition has a significant impact on East St. Louis as well as the nation as a whole. "Black Leg" mobsters saw opportunities for enormous profits and opened illegal "speakeasies."
Joe was put into the St Charles County Jail to serve his 45 days as punishment. During that time he received letters from friends and family. Which is pretty much what was in the cigar box. A lot of letters to Joe. Most of the letters though, come from an address on Forest Ave in St. Louis, from Bill (Cenatiempo) and a female who seems to be a young lady by the nick name 'Little-Bit', and also from 'Cousin Margaret'. All the letters from these three names come from the same address on Forest Ave. If anyone has any additional information on who these people are, please tell!
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