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Violation Of Organized Crime In The 1920's

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February 14th, 1929, several police officers raid a garage in the city of Chicago. 7 Mobsters surrender without a fight, as the police sweep the place for any signs of bootlegging, and lined each of the 7 men against a wall and started shooting. These 7 men were part of a rival gang that was the lone competitor of Al Capone’s mobster gang, the policemen were actually some of Capone’s men sent on a mission to kill any rival gang members. The following, Al Capone sits in his villa in Florida, satisfied as he is now the top dog in Chicago after what would be called: “Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre.” At this point in America’s history, organized crime was running rampant in every cities street, with the Mafia being at its height and bootlegging operations being …show more content…

Fitzgerald subtly weaves themes of organized crime throughout the novel through Gatsby’s questionable fortune as well as through the mysterious figure Meyer Wolfshiem. Furthermore, the world of organized crime was a theme that was consult brought up throughout the 1920s into the 30s. This is due to the fact that at every party held by anyone wealthy, there was alcohol there, which is in clear violation of the 18th amendment. This much can be proven in the quote: “Chicago had more than 7,000 drinking parlors, or speak-easies, so named because patrons had to whisper code-words to enter. Physicians nationwide dispensed prescriptions for medicinal alcohol, while pharmacies applied for liquor licenses. Alcohol was available for a price and delivered with a wink and wry smile.” (Batchelor 1). This quote proves that there was an apparent disregard for the law, and many people, despite not actually being associated with the creation or distribution were apart of the illegal world that spun around bootlegging. The fact of how there were 7,000 drinking parlors,

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