▁brothers ▁who ▁managed ▁the ▁Nor folk ▁branch ▁of ▁C oh ens ▁Lot tery ▁and ▁Exchange ▁Office ▁of ▁Baltimore . ▁ ▁The ▁C ohen ▁firm ▁was ▁a ▁leading ▁vendor ▁of ▁lot tery ▁tick ets ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁through ▁its ▁offices ▁in ▁New ▁York , ▁Philadelphia , ▁Char l eston , ▁and ▁Nor folk , ▁and ▁nation wide ▁through ▁the ▁mail . ▁The ▁firm ▁had ▁a ▁strong ▁reputation ▁in ▁an ▁otherwise ▁uns av ory ▁field , ▁and ▁was ▁known ▁for ▁quick ▁p ayout s ▁to ▁w inners , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁later ▁success ▁in ▁the ▁ins urance ▁and ▁bank ing ▁fields . ▁The ▁firm ▁had ▁been ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 1 ▁by ▁another ▁brother , ▁Jacob ▁I . ▁C ohen , ▁Jr . ▁( a ▁future ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Baltimore ▁City ▁Council ), ▁who ▁had ▁em igr ated ▁from ▁Bav aria , ▁and ▁brought ▁each ▁of ▁his ▁five ▁brothers ▁into ▁the ▁firm . ▁ ▁On ▁June ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 8 2 0 , ▁Philip ▁and ▁M endes ▁C ohen ▁were ▁charged ▁by ▁authorities ▁in ▁Nor folk ▁with ▁s elling ▁tick ets ▁for ▁the ▁National ▁Lot tery ▁in ▁Virginia . ▁ ▁The ▁brothers ▁were ▁conv icted ▁in ▁local ▁court ▁and ▁f ined ▁$ 1 0 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁issue ▁was ▁significant ▁as ▁" lot ter ies ▁were ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁chief ▁means ▁by ▁which ▁govern ments ▁raised ▁capital ▁in ▁the " ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁It ▁would ▁challenge ▁the ▁" free ▁flow ▁of ▁commerce " ▁emb