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The 1920s was a time of prosperity in America; the stock market was skyrocketing, the Great War was over and America seemed to turn the corner onto a new, prosperous age. Not only were stock investors and white collar workers experiencing a great flow of wealth, gangsters and criminals were also experiencing a great cash flow. After the Eighteenth Amendment went into effect, it was immediately exploited by gangsters who had already began to think about the business opportunity that the United States government unintentionally provided to them. Despite their many negative impacts on society, criminal organizations in America during the 1920’s personified the american dream because of their exploitation of a unique business opportunity, they adapted their business to make it more efficient and they were able to gain financial prosperity while doing so.
Soon, these criminals established murderous underground smuggling networks. Anti-prohibition groups arose—just as quickly as groups that favored prohibition arose years prior—and worked to have the amendment repealed, as it could be seen that prohibition caused more issues than it
When you think of organized crime, do you think of Public Enemy with Johnny Depp as the charming John Dillinger, Al Capone with his silk suit, guns, women, and booze, or the G-men who chased them? Regardless, it was probably created in the “lawless years,” a time when law enforcement was practically unheard of. During the early 1920s to the mid-1930s organized crime terrorized America, but when J. Edgar Hoover became the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), he set out to professionalize the agency and bring new technology to use. Organized crime terrorized America from the early 20s to the mid-30s due the 18th amendment. More commonly known as prohibition, the illegal manufacture, sell and distribution of alcohol.
“The prohibition era of the 1920s gave rise to the organized crime syndicate in the United States.” (John Dillinger). This actually meant that Federal officials have actually made really good efforts to enforce prohibition, like raids, but then they were fought on by well-organized operations with many connections. There are many events of the twenties and thirties that lead to the rise of organized crime, causing federal officials to enforce prohibitions or raids using organized
However, in the 1920s, because alcohol was a part of people’s daily lives, people didn’t stop consuming it. Alcohol consumers with no respect for the law simply decided to buy, sell, and drink alcohol illegally. People who sold alcohol made a lucrative business out of it. Al Capone, for example, who was a famous American gangster, earned $60,000,000 annually by selling illegal liquor (Al Capone). Prohibition did not stop people from drinking, and criminals were making the money the sale.
This makes it clear that bootlegging was happening all over the U.S. This complex system made liquor available nearly everywhere, eventually changing the minds of the American people about alcohol. Despite the government’s attempts to snuff out the bootlegging empire, these gangs continued to prosper throughout the 1930s, until the repeal of the 18th amendment: thus, ending
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.
Soon after prohibition passed people started to involve themselves in wars. Ever since prohibition came to the public it caused “The United States massive boost to crime” (Lane 10). In response to that “Torrio’s move into alcohol prompted other Chicago criminals to do likewise, which inaugurated the so-called Beer Wars” (Oldenburg 3). This shows how people respond to a law they do not agree with. Homicides usually are the last result during organized crime.
The black market which was led by several mafia organizations, was the cause of this, which basically led to worse social conditions. New York and Chicago were the main states that rose to power through the successful selling of illegal liquor that the mafia organizations offered, but New York was the main home of a dozen big time mobsters. New York became one of the nation’s largest market for bootlegging alcohol. The mafia organizations found ways to avoid being detected by law enforcement during the prohibition. Some of these crimes included money laundering, bribing law enforcement, smuggling, and bootlegging.
Organized crime existed before the 1920s however, prohibition gave way to a new organized crime under Al Capone, bootlegging, and speakeasies. A year after the 18th Amendment was passed, it was clear that it was not working well. While this did help to reduce drinking in some regions of the nation, it also helped to produce a vast, profitable industry that was now illegal to authorized businessmen and taken over by organized crime. In Chicago, the new mafia leader, Al Capone built a criminal empire based on illegal alcohol. “The idea that money can buy power was lucidly verified by gangsters such as Capone,” as illegal alcohol became as easy to acquire as legal alcohol had once been (Hales and Nikolas).
Organized crime during Prohibition skyrocketed for a multitude of different and varied reasons. Through the criminal experience and political connections gained in the early 1900’s, as a result of the gambling and prostitution rackets, many criminals were ready to take advantage of Prohibition. However, a result of the illegal consumption and distribution of alcohol is that there is not a fair way to settle disputes. Therefore, violent crimes increased due to it being the only way for gangsters to solve unsettled issues with one another. One of the most famous gangsters of the time arrived in Chicago just as Prohibition had began-
In 1920’s America, Prohibition not only led to the rise of bootlegging and organized crime, but also transformed societal norms and perceptions of law enforcement. The enforcement of anti-alcohol laws fueled the growth of illegal alcohol production and distribution, shifting the once legal alcohol industry into an illicit trade. This period allowed gangsters and corruption to flourish, ultimately shaping the cultural and economic landscape of the United States. The rise of bootlegging activities challenged the authority of the government and altered the perceptions of law enforcement agencies.
However, none of these actions from the mafia or criminal gangs earned success to be under a single organization. This changed as the 1920s emerged, creating the most
(2015) Organized Crime, Sixth Edition, Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Prentice Hall Sandbrook, D. (2012), How Prohibition backfired and gave America an era of gangsters and speakeasies, The Guardian, information retrieved from:
We can see how much prohibition affected the growth of organized crime in many different ways. One way prohibition affected the growth of organized crime was by creating a window for mobs and gangs to fill the want for alcohol. Another way prohibition affected the establishment’s growth was by creating a more desirable perspective of alcohol. The final effect was creating a large moneymaker for “low-life criminals”. Prohibition was a large factor in the quickly growing establishment of organized crime in the early 1900s.
