I think there's a big populatiion of lampreys in NH. Probably not like that. There is a Lamprey River up there.
I remember seeing something on the history channel about how rich Romans used keep lampreys in pools with dens so that they could catch them and cook them fresh at parties. Also, if the owner got really mad at a slave, the slave could end up being thrown into the pool and eaten alive by those things. There is a recorded example of this when an rich guy entertained Augustus. The slave broke some crystal at the banquet. the crystal was more valuable than the slave, and he was so embarassed that he was going to have the slave killed on the spot. Augustus found this barbaric, ordered it stopped, and had the man destroy all his crystal.
