Minthorne Westervelt came from a prominent Staten Island family. You can find both a Minthorne Road and Westervelt Avenue on Staten Island today. When he was tried for being a slave trader his family produced numerous witnesses to vouch for him and his character. These references helped him avoid the charges. Read more about the case and the slave ship The Nightingale below.
Read about the USS Nightingale at: https://tinyurl.com/yxclrq2x.