How Did Al Capone Impact Chicago

“Only Capone’s gang kills like that!” a quote by Bugs Moran, leader of North Side Gang” (Gottesman 1). On February 14, 1929, seven men were killed in a warehouse loading zone in Chicago, USA climaxing a huge rivalry between the North Side Gang and Al Capone’s dominance over the city. Capone was one of the most dominant and well-known gangsters during the Prohibition Era, which ranged between 1920 and 1933. Prohibition in Chicago was huge, many people just wanted to go out for a drink and have a good time after work but the 18th amendment said otherwise. Capone thought he could take it into his own hands by bootlegging liquor and beer throughout Chicago, but other gangs wanted to join in creating competition. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre

“Prohibition, which was ratified as the 18th Constitutional Amendment in 1919. Illegalizing the production, distribution, and consumption of alcoholic beverages- all of which were corollaries to the amendment- did not curb the desire of Chicagoans for liquor or beer”(University of Michigan 1). The Prohibition clearly didn’t strike well with the people of Chicago as many disapproved of the amendment, one of those being Al Capone. Al Capone, who grew up in New York moved to Chicago with Torrio and his gang in 1909 right before the 18th amendment was created and enforced. He was a very feared and dominant gangster as his nickname was “Scarface” after being slashed in the face in a fight at a hotel in 1917. Capone wanted more dominance and wealth so he thought he could make money by bootlegging liquor illegally and that is exactly what he did. “This great demand for and simultaneous legalization of alcohol opened up a new illegal market for the gangster to develop and monopolize. As Al Capone put it, “All I do is to

“For Capone, dubbed “Public Enemy No.1” in June by the Chicago Crime Commission, 1931 was pivotal. That year, the gangster chieftain was put on trial and convicted, not of murder and mayhem, but evading $182,000 in taxes on income of $915,000 for the years 1925, 1926 and 1927”(Chicago Tribune 1). The reason why Capone didn’t turn in his taxes was because the tax collectors would have to ask him how he acquired all of his money. If he would have told them he would have already gone to jail right away so he instead tried to wait it out as long as possible. Though many believed that this man would be put to jail after all those villainous crimes such as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre he instead gets caught and sent to prison for tax evasion. After becoming very rich after bootlegging Capone thought he could get away with not turning in taxes making him even wealthier. That wasn’t such a smart move on his part, “At 2:42 P.M. on October 18, the jury left the courtroom to begin its deliberations. They filed back into the courtroom eight hours later with their verdict in hand. When the clerk pronounced the word "Guilty" (on the charge of tax evasion for 1925) reporters dashed to phones to report the news”(Prof. Lender Pg.1 The Trial). After the massacre Al Capone was sentenced 11 years for not paying taxes leading to end of the Capone era. He later died in 1947 from cardiac