Kevin J. "Maverick" Miller

Dale "One-eyed Dale Jacobovitz" Jacobs

“Maverick Miller” was born around Christmas day 1825.  His exact date of birth is not exactly known.

All that is known about his birth is that he was born in Alexandria Virginia, and that his mother left him as a newborn on the doorstep of an Episcopal Ministers home, with a note attached to his blanket that read: 

“Please take care of my son and give him a good home”.

The note was signed “Colleen Miller”.

The Minister and his wife tried to find the elusive “Colleen Miller”, but no one by that name was known to live in Alexandria, nor known about town.  Whoever she was remains a mystery.

The Minister and his wife took the young Miller baby into their home and gave him the name of “Kevin”.

It was soon plain to them that raising this child would be more than a challenge.

As a young boy, he was often into mischief, constant brawls with other boys, and hard to control.  Often he would be found outside of the Church service that his adopted father was conducting, and would be found in front of the church staring off at the riverboats passing, or spinning some fanciful story to a passerby.

This would become a precursor to his later vocation in life, and caused the Minister to refer to him as a “Maverick” that needed to be tamed and broken.

Try as the Minister might, he could not break the spirit of young Maverick, and stopped referring to him as “Kevin” and simple called him “The Maverick”.

While he cared deeply for his adopted parents, he also had a wandering soul, and was never happy being confined to the rigorous lifestyle that the Episcopal Church demanded of the child of a Minister.

At the age of 12, the young “Maverick” simply left home one day to become a cabin boy on a ship headed towards New Orleans, Louisiana.

Feeling the confines of his home too much for him to bear, he boarded the ship, told the ships master that he was an orphan (not a total lie), and happily sailed away leaving a note for his adopted parents that read;

“Thank you for all that you have done for me, but I must go”.

He signed it “The Maverick”.

As he sailed along the coast on the way to New Orleans, he worked diligently at learning his job as a cabin boy, and found he was good at it.

Upon his arrival in New Orleans, he walked around the city, and found its charms to be very appealing to him. 

He quickly found another job as a cabin boy on a Riverboat that made a run from New Orleans to Natchez, and continued to work on the boat until he was 18. 

While he was no longer a cabin boy, he had worked his way up to First Mate on the boat, and this gave him more time to socialize, and to learn all that he could about the vises that were so prevalent on a riverboat.

He was fascinated by the nightlife on the riverboat, and the varied personalities that would sail up and down the river.  He particularly enjoyed spending his free time in the salon watching the poker players. 

He was amazed at the amount of money that could be generated by them, and the ease at which they seemed to make their money. 

Also during this time, Maverick developed his taste for Scotch.

He befriended a gambler that frequented the riverboat he was on, primarily by fetching the Gambler drinks so that he would not have to interrupt his game. 

The Gambler was taken by young Maverick, and taught him the game of Poker.  Often they would sit for hours playing poker with each other.

Maverick quickly learned the subtleties of the game.  He also learned how to play poker wisely, and fairly.  This would eventually lead to his credo in his own Gambling House. 

Maverick’s credo in his own establishment would be:

“Fair and honest tables, and only games of skill”.

Professional Poker Playing is a profession, and gambling is a game for suckers.

One fateful night, Maverick was fetching drinks for the gambler, and a particularly corrupt and dishonest player was at the table. 

The dishonest player was caught dealing from the bottom of the deck, and as he was confronted by the other players, he produced a derringer from his vest pocket.

The gambler friend of Mavericks, produced a similar derringer from his vest pocket, and the two armed men, stared at each other.

Maverick, who approaching the table with a full tray of fresh drinks of whiskey, saw what was happening.  Moving quickly and deftly, he dumped the tray on the floor behind the armed man, who turned with a start. 

Maverick quickly rapped the armed man across the head with the tray, sending him “ass over tea kettle” to the floor.  Maverick pounced upon the derringer and grabbed it, holding it to the formerly armed mans belly, as he lay on the floor.

The man, seeing his lot in life had suddenly changed could do little but accept his situation and lay there.

As the other players grabbed the man, Maverick slipped the derringer in his pocket, a souvenir of the experience.

This also taught Maverick a lesson.  “Never allow firearms in a game of poker.”

“Unless of course you are the one who has them, just to keep the game honest.”

The man who had formerly been armed and keeping the others at bay, was escorted to the side of the boat, and thrown over in the Mississippi River with little ceremony.

That being done, all the players returned to their game.

Maverick was offered the empty seat, and was staked a generous amount of chips as a reward for his actions. He started playing his first game of “Professional Poker”.  It would not be his last, and would change his life’s path, and his fortunes.

Not soon after, Maverick found that he enjoyed playing Poker more than he enjoyed working for a living.

Maverick had a knack for Poker, and in due time amassed a small fortune, especially for a young man his age.

He outfitted himself in fine and flashy clothes as the other Gamblers did, and quickly became proficient with the derringer and a pistol that he kept secreted in a shoulder holster under his jacket.

Actually, in truth, he would be found playing Poker more often, that he would be found conducting the job as the First Mate, and this lead to a disagreement with the Captain of the ship.

Eventually, Maverick and the Ships Captain reached an agreement.  Maverick would resign as the First Mate of the Riverboat, and the Ships Captain would not throw him overboard for not doing his job!

It seemed like a good arrangement to Maverick.  Maverick thus entered into his profession.  He became a Professional Gambler. 

While his fortunes would ebb and flow with the turn of a card, he always seemed to be able to make a living at it, to pay his way on the boat, and to put some back so he was never without a stake for the next game.

By 1850, Maverick, having secured a sizeable fortune at his profession, returned to his native Alexandria.  He invested his money in a Gaming Hall and Saloon across the river in Washington City, which he ran along with his friends.

Maverick’s was home to an assortment of characters as dealers, bartenders, and bar girls.   The Gaming Hall and Saloon quickly became a meeting place for “those in the know” in Washington City. 

On any given night, you could find anything from Senators and Congressmen, to those trading information, to Generals and the affluent of the community at “Mavericks”.

While in Alexandria, Maverick also joined the “Alexandria Sharpshooters”, a social club of sorts, made up primarily of Veterans of the Mexican War, that spent their leisure time in target shooting and giving demonstrations of “eagle eyed” skill with a musket.

Maverick continued in his profession until the war clouds formed over the South in 1860.

Once it became evident that Virginia was going to secede from the Union, and would take up arms to defend herself, Maverick choose to throw in his lot to help with the cause.

Even thought he had spent a great deal of his life on the Mississippi, he still felt the Love for his Native Virginia that only a “Virginian” could feel. 

He enlisted in the Alexandria Rifles.  Its proper name was the 17th Virginia, Company A, “the Alexandria Riflemen”.  This was the same group of men that had previously been the “Alexandria Sharpshooters”; however now it was an Infantry Company in the Army of Northern Virginia.

Maverick served as a Private in the company, and in late 1862, suffered a wound to his upper thigh in battle.

Maverick returned to his home in Alexandria, and resumed his pervious profession at the Mavericks Gaming Hall. 

Even though Alexandria was under occupation of the Federal Troops, and Maverick had enlisted in the Confederate Army, he had the foresight to leave his establishment in the hands of trusted employees.

All was well and prosperous still.  Maverick's had done well in his absence, and was now even more of a meeting place in Washington City for the ranking Generals, Politicians and affluent.

Maverick, while now a civilian, still had his loyalty to the south, and was quickly enlisted in the Confederate Secret Service as a spy.

Through the use of his Gaming Hall, the dealers, the bar girls and others in the Confederate espionage trade, he was able to gather and disseminate information back to the Confederate lines.

While he was always under the watchful eye of the Federal authorities who surmised what he was truly doing, Maverick was never successfully prosecuted as a spy.  He did however frequently find himself arrested and was under arrest and investigation by the Federal authorities, who could never prove their charges.

One Eyed Jacobovitz aka Dale Jacobs was born October 17, 1814 in Alexandria, Virginia.  This blessed event occurred in the home of his parents, Jacob & Rose Jacobs. 

Their home was located somewhere in an area bounded roughly by the Potomac River, Franklin Street, Washington Street and Queen Street.

 

Dale grew up in a loving, caring and traditionally religious family.  Over time the Jacobs’ were drawn to the Reform movement of Judaism.  Subsequently, Dale was educated at Beth El Hebrew Congregation located on Seminary Road.  It should be noted that Beth El Congregation was founded by a small but dedicated group of German-Jewish immigrants seeking to establish a religious and cultural home in their adopted country.  At Beth El he was a Bar Mitzvah and was confirmed. 

During his schooling he had a love for numbers.  As a result his father, Jacob, allowed him to work at the “Jacobs Dry Goods Store”.  Dale truly loved commerce.  He would rather work in the store rather than run with the other children.   After he finished his primary education, he earned a degree from the University of Virginia

After university, the Jacobs’ store was closed and Dale needed to secure his financial future.  So he learned his trade in the import/export brokering business from Mr. Louis Albert Cazenove.  It seems that Cazenove had established a mercantile, importing and banking business, which became a financial empire. And over the years Cazenove’s company had grown into one of the largest import and export firms on the east coast.  The business was located on the corner of King St & Union St.  As a result of his position with Mr. Cazemove, Dale was intimately involved in the economic and political fabric of Alexandria society. 

In 1836, Dale joined the Alexandria-Washington Masonic Lodge No. 22 A.F.& A.M.. His involvement with his Masonic Lodge brought him further recognition in the community.  He never became an officer of the Lodge, but remained very active in the social and fund raising endeavors.  He participated in the ceremonies of the laying of cornerstones at the Smithsonian Institution, 1847; the Washington National Monument, 1848; the George Washington Equestrian Statue in Richmond, 1850 and the Fireman’s Monument at Ivy Hill Cemetery in Alexandria, 1856.

In 1847, Dale was active in the process of getting Alexandria retro ceded to Virginia.  This was because local citizens were disenchanted with being part of the District of Columbia.  And Alexandria received little financial aid and citizens were not allowed to vote.  Then in 1852, Virginia chartered Alexandria as a city. 

While traveling between Washington City and Richmond and Alexandria in 1850, Dale met this man named Maverick.  They were both ends of the life spectrum, but they developed a very fine friendship. 

It seems Maverick had just opened The Gaming Hall and Saloon.  It’s kind of a place that Dale would not frequent.  But Maverick’s, as the new business was soon called, became a meeting place for “those in the know” in Washington City.  This was a place that Dale could obtain good important information for his friends back in Alexandria.  So with Maverick’s assistance they conjured up this alter ego, One Eyed Jacobovitz (Dale’s great grandfather’s last name, back in Bavaria).  Dale learned to proficiently deal “21” and “5 Card Stud”.  Dale took a small percentage from the table to be compensated for a nights work.  But Dale aka One Eyed was extremely grateful for Maverick’s assistance in this charade.  And so, Dale was Import/Export Broker by day and One Eyed Jacobovitz the relief card dealer at night. 

As you know in 1861 prior to the occupation of Alexandria by the Union troops (May 24), it was actually February 18, 1861, the commissioned officers of Alexandria’s volunteer militia companies met to organize a volunteer militia battalion.  One of the original four was the Alexandria Riflemen.  Maverick, Dale and others who loved their home, Alexandria Virginia, volunteered.  Dale rose through the ranks to become the First Sergeant of Company A and survived the war and was at Appomattox at the ultimate humiliation, the surrender of the Confederate Army. 

Dale returned home after the “Great Unpleasantness” to find his office building still intact.  It even had the mortar shell lodged in the outer wall of his building from the Union Gunboat that fired the warning shot announcing its arrival.  Now there was still the need for an Import/ Export Broker in Alexandria, so Dale started it right back up again.

So ends the biography of Mr. Dale Jacobs of Alexandria Virginia.

Chris was born in the coastal town of Agrigento on the southwest side of Sicily.  The fifth child of eight and not being the first son, Chris realized he was not going to inherit the family land so he would have to make a life for himself.  His occupation options were very limited as he was coming of age.  He did not like the manual labor intense job of mining for brimstone (sulfur) nor did he want to fish or work in the olive fields.  Manual labor was not his going to be his chosen profession. 

   

Being more the inquisitive type and with a desire of knowledge (and a lack of ambition when it came to actual work) Chris choose to become a man of the clothe. 

He traveled north to Rome where he joined the Ordo Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae (The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance). 

This was a Trappists Order at the Abbazia delle Tre Fontane (Abbey of the Three Fountains).  

Here Chris was able to study and contemplate the great mysteries of life, death, God, Christ  and the Catholic Church and search for answers to these questions. 

 

It is at the Abbey that Chris learned the trade of brewing beer (and develop a liking for it).  He quickly learned of the brewing process and how the malts gave the beer its different characteristics and how the hops gave it the particular aroma and after tastes. He studied brewing as hard as he studied the Bible.  Unfortunately, giving Chris this knowledge was to put the fox in charge of the hen house.

 

While Chris would be brewing he was constantly sampling the brews to insure that he only made the finest ales and stouts. His over enthusiastic adherence to quality control soon became a distraction to the other monks. 

When Chris got to tippling he would become very talkative. 

While this order was not one to take the vows of silence, they did believe, to the extent that it is practical, they were expected to remain silent throughout the day and most especially at night. 

Once Chris got into his cups he got to talking and expressing his opinions and disrupting the prayers and meditations of the other Brothers.

He finally wore out his welcome and was asked to leave the Abbey. 

With a head full of questions and opinions and filled with wanderlust, Chris packed up his few belongings and set out to see the world. 

He worked at odd jobs and saved enough to make passage to America.  Here he landed in the city of New Orleans. 

 

He quickly found employment at a local brewery and started to apply his trade.  He moved up quickly and became the master brewer in no time at all. 

Still thinking like the Monk he had been, Chris didn't spend his earnings on anything but life’s essentials.  He rented a small room behind the brewery that had enough room for a bunk, table and chair.  He ate very little and lived the Spartan lifestyle.

 

With this modest living, Chris was able to save up most of his earnings. 

Tiring of New Orleans, he continued to travel throughout the southern states, working, saving and seeking life’s answers. 

He eventually found his way to Alexandria, Virginia. 

It was here that Chris was not able to find a brewery that would hire him. 

He also saw that none of the beer was worth drinking. 

He did like this city though and felt this is where he was going to settle down.

 

He quickly bought himself an old saloon and started brewing for himself. 

He named it "The Cock and Pullet Inn" after a joke he had heard in his travels. 

In no time at all, the Cock and Pullet had made a name for himself as one of the finest taverns in the county. 

Chris was kept so busy with brewing and running the pub he barely had any free time.  In his spare time he started to learn how to play cards. 

Unfortunately, he didn't learn how to play them well.  As a matter of fact, he stunk. 

Five card stud, black jack and even bucking the tiger (faro) he lost more than he won.  Still he kept finding his way to the tables.

 

His gaming house of choice was Mavericks. 

Here Chris would spend his free time at the tables loosing all of his earnings from the Cock and Pullet. 

His gambling got the best of him and eventually found himself in debt to Maverick’s. 

Maverick, seeing a business opportunity and in a rare case of charity made a deal with Chris. 

The Cock and Pullet would merge with Maverick’s Gaming Hall. 

Maverick would become part owner of the Cock and Pullet and Chris would be able to work off his debt.  He is barred from gambling though.

 

Today, Chris is still brewing the finest ales and stouts for the thirsty masses.  He tends bar at the Cock and Pullet Pub and he has finally found the answer to life's question:

"When you drink, you get drunk. When you get drunk, you fall asleep. When you sleep, you surely can commit no sin. When you don't sin you go to heaven. So let’s all get drunk and go to heaven!"

Chris “The Brew master” Benintende