The  Johnson & Lazarus distillery at 16th Street was the subject of a famous muckraking exposé by Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper in 1858.
Distilleries in 19th century New York had to dispose of the tons of organic waste they generated, and their solution was to feed the still hot mash to hundreds of sick old cows and then sell the milk.
 The cows were crowded into filthy stables, and were so sickly that some of them were reportedly held up by slings.
 The milk, referred to as "swill milk", was often cut with water and then thickened with chalk or flour.
Swill milk was accused of being a major cause of infant mortality — it was sold from pushcarts all over the city, advertised, e.g., as farm-fresh milk from Orange County.

Johnson was a supporter of the Tammany Hall politician Alderman Michael Tuomey, known as "Butcher Mike".
 Tuomey defended the distillers vigorously throughout the scandal — in fact, he was put in charge of the Board of Health investigation.
 Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper staked out Johnson's mansion at 21st and Broadway, and reported that in the midst of the investigation, Tuomey was observed making late night visits.
The Board of Health exonerated the distillers, but public outcry led to the passage of the first food safety laws in the form of milk regulations in 1862.
The  Johnson & Lazarus distillery at 16th Street was the subject of a famous muckraking exposé by Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper in 1858. Distilleries in 19th century New York had to dispose of the tons of organic waste they generated, and their solution was to feed the still hot mash to hundreds of sick old cows and then sell the milk.  The cows were crowded into filthy stables, and were so sickly that some of them were reportedly held up by slings.  The milk, referred to as "swill milk", was often cut with water and then thickened with chalk or flour. Swill milk was accused of being a major cause of infant mortality — it was sold from pushcarts all over the city, advertised, e.g., as farm-fresh milk from Orange County.
Johnson was a supporter of the Tammany Hall politician Alderman Michael Tuomey, known as "Butcher Mike".  Tuomey defended the distillers vigorously throughout the scandal — in fact, he was put in charge of the Board of Health investigation.  Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper staked out Johnson's mansion at 21st and Broadway, and reported that in the midst of the investigation, Tuomey was observed making late night visits. The Board of Health exonerated the distillers, but public outcry led to the passage of the first food safety laws in the form of milk regulations in 1862.
Bradish Johnson