If you mentioned New Jersey and shark attacks to even a casual visitor, you will likely get the story of 1916 and the 12 days of horror. The events have been the subject of books, movies and countless TV shows.

But did history ever repeat itself? The year 1926 was the 10th anniversary of the infamous attacks. The nation was in the midst of Prohibition and the Roaring 20s, which for the Jersey Shore meant huge crowds, a building boom and full cash registers.

In her book Shark Attacks of the Jersey Shore, Patricia Heyer set the scene.