The era of Prohibition in the U.S lasted from 1920 to 1933, it was a notable period characterized by the nationwide ban of the production, sale, and distribution of alcohol. The intention behind Prohibition was to reduce crime and social issues, but it had unintended consequences. One of the most consequential outcomes was the rise of organized crime. Prohibition holds a direct relationship with the growth and fortification of organized crime during the 1920s, to present day. The prohibition of alcohol created a rise of an ever expanding black market for alcoholic beverages. The increasing demand for alcohol among the American population brought about bootlegging and became a lucrative and illicit industry. Criminal organizations quickly recognized the opportunity and took advantage of the ban to profit from the sale of illegal liquor. These organizations created sophisticated systems for producing, smuggling, and distributing alcohol. This often included the collaboration of corrupt office officials and law enforcement. The immense profits generated from bootlegging provided criminal syndicates the money to expand their illegal business. Prohibition provided organized crime syndicates with an unprecedented opportunity to establish and expand their operations. Many different criminal …show more content…
Law enforcement officers and government officials were prone to the lure of financial gain and easily yielded to the temptations offered by criminal syndicates. The systematic corruption of public officials allowed organized crime to undermine the legitimacy of law enforcement agencies. This corruption offered protection to criminal organizations, leading to relative impunity, evading arrest, and prosecution. This constructed a new sense of power within these syndicates, giving them power over the people and the people in positions of