Crime in the 1920’s In the 1920’s, a large group of gang members, more commonly known as gangsters took their chance to make as much money as possible and acquire as much respect and rank as they could so they would not have to worry about altercations with the police or other rival gangs. However, throughout their troubles in becoming wealthy and powerful they had to break the law on several occasions. Especially, when it came to making money, earning respect and becoming more powerful than other rival gangs. In the 1920’s the stock market was thriving with wealth and everyone was making large sums of money. Although, things started to look up in the 1920’s, there was also a period of large amounts of illegal activities. Including gambling, …show more content…
Al Capone was the man everyone went to for the gambling role because he was the man in charge of it. But there was a downside to all of the earnings made from gambling, all the money that was being earned, for example as stated by (Go.galegroup.comAlCaponetaxevasion). “By the late 1920s, Capone grossed about $70 million annually from liquor, prostitution, loan sharking, extortion, slot machines, and gambling. Unfortunately, he failed to report his earnings. While he could intimidate and bribe the Chicago police”. Despite the severity of this illegal activity Capone tried to pay off the Chicago police but couldn't pay off the U.S Treasury Department which led to Capones arrest. As stated in (Go.galegroup.comAlCaponetaxevasion). “Capone was Indicted for federal income tax evasion in June 1931, he was convicted in October. Capone received a sentence of eleven years in prison, first served in Atlanta and then at Alcatraz, the notorious prison in San Francisco bay.” although the risk for gambling and bootlegging was high Capone still managed to make millions in todays money and the result of his criminal reign was that he was sentenced eleven years in prison because he failed to report his earnings to the U.S Treasury Department, and if he did they would more than likely want an explanation as to where all of the money he illegally earned came from, and this is eventually what got him caught and thrown in