Louis Kuehnle

Who was Louis Kuehnle?

Louis Kuehnle, known as the Commodore, was an American business entrepreneur and politician of German descent. He is considered a pioneer in the growing resort town of Atlantic City, New Jersey in the late 1880s and early 1900s. He was leader of the Republican organization that controlled Atlantic City during the early 1900s. Future president New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson pursued Kuehnle after his 1910 election as part of his campaign to clean up Atlantic City. The effort led to the unsuccessful prosecution of Kuehnle for election fraud and the successful prosecution and conviction of him for a conflict of interest in connection with a government contract. His name then tarnished by scandal, he was succeeded by Enoch "Nucky" Johnson as leader of the organization.