How Did Al Capone Contribute To The Rise Of Prohibition

When someone thinks about the prohibition they don't become happy and joyous because that time period wasn't either. It was filled with depression, sorrow, and was just full of atrocious behavior. There were gangs, bootlegging operations, and illicit activity that was just allowed and grew tremendously with great leadership (“Prohibition”). It was the rise of the Crime Czars in Chicago and on the northern part of the country that really took control. These gangsters used their influential carefree personalities and practically ran the nation (“Al”). They had so many followers because the government essentially handed them over when they passed the 18th amendment in 1919. This then led to a rebellion and illegal movements like drinking hard

This influence grew to an immense size as the nation became weaker. Gangsters like Johnny Torrio, Arnold Rothstein, Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Enoch Johnson, and James Colosimo were on the rise (“Nucky”). Johnny Torrio was born in Osara, Italy. He grew up in a town near Naples where he lived until his father dies when he was two. His mother then brought him to New York, where he later founded the James Street boys and became a top crime boss in Chicago. (“Johnny”). Under his massive influence he took the infamous Al Capone under his wing. Alphonse who was one of the nine Capone children, decided that he had to take care of his family who had just migrated to U.S (“Al”). So in sixth grade he quit school and he joined the James Street Boys gang. Torrio was mentoring Capone to take over his supporters. Their clan was later named the Five Points Gang and was also apart of how Al got his nickname "scarface". In one of the brothels a hoodlum ran a knife right down Al's left cheek prompting the nickname. As violence like this continued so did the acts that led to the prohibition

The Government then recognized they needed to do something more. The temperance movement, then became more and more favorable through the influence of the church (“Prohibition”). The first state to set a law on temperance was Massachusetts in 1838 but was repealed two years later. Then in 1846 Maine became the first state to set prohibition laws. Another huge influence on the United States was Europe and Asia who had also been having problems with the abuse of alcohol (‘Prohibition”). In European countries they had been concerned about alcoholism and were trying to prevent it also. The Finnish were the first to outlaw spirits, then the Swedish. The Swedes had a harder time with it because it had become a social custom. Other Cultures who have many differences when it comes to drinking as well as the way they control it. Just like in Japan who highly disregarded it (“Prohibition”). Then back in the U.S came the Volstead act, which was enacted to carry out the intent of the 18th Amendment (ratified January 1919), which established prohibition in the United States (“Volstead”). Yet the eighteenth amendment and the Volstead act weren't enforced very well. As in the matter a fact bootlegging, speakeasies, and distilling operation become a bigger and bigger. The earliest bootlegging operations began when gang associates started smuggling liquor over