How The Prohibition Sparked The Beginning Of The Mafia

How Prohibition Sparked the Beginning of the American Mafia “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse” (Marlon Brando, The Godfather). The offer the mafia could not refuse? The opportunity the Prohibition Era presented. Indeed, the ban on the sale of Alcohol made it rare to come by, and the mafia used this as an opportunity to profit. Most importantly, this opportunity caused the gangs of America to evolve, and continue to evolve into what they are today. Prohibition caused gangs to become organized, illegal alcohol operations to spread everywhere, and a major rise in gang violence.

Very well known throughout its place of origin, Italy, the mafia continued to stay in its home country, until Italian immigrants in the 1920s moved to America

With the United States becoming the economic powerhouse in the late 19th century and early 20th century, many immigrants, including Italian immigrants, came rushing to America. In the article, writers for History.com noted, “during the late 19th century and early 20th century, waves of Italians, mostly farmers, craftsmen and unskilled laborers, flocked to America in search of better economic opportunities” (The Mafia in the United States, History.com). Hence, the influx of Italian immigrants that would often form “neighborhood gangs,” and “prey on those in their own community,” took the opportunity to make millions when the Prohibition Era

These gangsters did not start out organized however. Howard Abadinsky, a criminal justice professor and author of Organized Crime, pointed this out in History.com’s article, “They had to hire lawyers and accountants to launder the millions in ill-gotten cash piling up each month. They had to start thinking about strategic partnerships with other gangs and shipping logistics and real estate investment.” “They had to become businessmen,” says Abadinsky. “And that gave rise to what we now call organized crime” (How Prohibition Put the ‘Organized’ in Organized Crime, History.com). Abadinsky analyzed the progression of gangs turning into organized “businesses” and summed it up into one sentence. These gang leaders had to hire lawyers, make strategic partnerships, and think like a businessman in order to run their mafia family efficiently. Consequently, banning of alcohol and the citizen’s desperate need for it gave rise to the evolution of organized crime and the rise of infamous mafia bosses. Yet, all of the prosperity of these mafia bosses only increased the amount of violence and cruelty citizens had already