American Toby Jug Museum 

Jean Lafitte character jug produced by Swank in Japan circa 1960. Jean Lafitte (1780 - 1823) was a French pirate and privateer who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. By 1805, Laffite was operating a warehouse in New Orleans to help distribute the goods smuggled by his brother Pierre Lafitte. The Laffites soon moved their operations to an island in Barataria Bay, Louisiana and by 1810, their new port had become very successful. The Laffites had a profitable smuggling operation and also started to engage in piracy. In return for a legal pardon, Laffite and his fleet helped General Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans to defend the city during the War of 1812. The Laffites subsequently became spies for the Spanish during the Mexican War of Independence. In 1817, Jean founded a new colony on Galveston Island named Campeche. At its height, the colonists and privateers earned millions of dollars annually from stolen or smuggled coin and goods.