Organized Crime In The 1920s

Organized crime, especially as it is thought of today, represent greed, anarchy, and a complete disregard for the lives of other human beings. With the added knowledge of hindsight, however, people today are able to better represent and highlight the important factors leading to organized crime and those who represented it. To understand the lives of those who created the organized crime of today, one must understand the circumstances of the lives of those in the 1920s. The 1920s, while seemingly pleasant and jovial, was a point of dismay and financial instability for the majority of the country. Credit became an integral part of financial upkeep, but was not a sustainable way to support the economy in the long run. Politically, the world was slowly recovering from the effects of World War I and the blatant systematic racism instilled throughout the country. Major cities within the United States as industrialism, especially in the automobile industry, moved south and began to overthrow the small businesses and farms that had previously strove during World War I.

The Wickersham Commission in particular became a stepping stone to the eventual end of Prohibition although had very little impact at the time of its release. While it may have seemed like a step misguided, it did indicate that there were at least a small group of government and law enforcement officials who believed in putting an end to organized crime and bootlegging. Despite the lack of law enforcement, many people still resented the leaders of organized crime because of their increased social status believing this to be the result of brute force and overactive imaginations. Many mobsters did however flourish financially because of the speakeasies and bootleggers available to