“Four hundred smugglers hold American customs officers at their mercy”, article published in La Presse on 2 June 1924.

In 1924, Alfred made the front page of many newspapers for having erected a blockade of over 400 smugglers around the town of Sully, Quebec. What happened was that the priest of Rivière-Bleue informed U.S. customs officer Joseph Durette that Johnny Pelletier, Alfred Lévesque’s right hand man, was going to smuggle moonshine through customs. The smugglers’ plan was thus foiled and Johnny was taken prisoner. Alfred Lévesque, well known for his unbelievable audacity, immediately retaliated by hiring close to 400 men, armed from head to toe, at ten dollars a day to prevent the customs officer and his team from leaving Sully with Johnny Pelletier. This event, known as the “Sully Rebellion,” led the Quebec authorities to cooperate with those of the U.S. in order to resolve the conflict.