"You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone."
--Al Capone
Rise of Organized Crime
Many people were extremely unhappy with the new amendment the government made, some of these people were mobsters and criminals. During this time period the numerous criminals were living a slightly risky life but over all very wealthy life.
Why Did Crime Become Popular?
"Gangsterism was dangerous but provided an easy way to make money. When the American government passed the Eighteenth amendments outlawing alcohol, people who enjoyed a drink became criminal for doing so... It was organized crime who supplied the booze."
(thefinertimes.com)
"Police officers and Prohibition agents alike were frequently tempted by bribes or the lucrative opportunity to go into bootlegging themselves. Many stayed honest, but enough succumbed to the temptation that the stereotype of the corrupt Prohibition agent or local cop undermined public trust in law enforcement for the duration of the era."
(pbs.org)
Major Criminal Gangs of Prohibition The number of criminal gangs in Prohibition grew considerably for many reasons, one of which was that individuals criminals realized that if they worked together to sell their alcohol much more profit would be made than working independently. Also many of the gangs were located in Chicago, which was a great place for the development of crime due to its lack of government enforcers, creating a lawless domain for mobsters.
The Five Points Gang "The Five Pointers were New York's most powerful gang in the opening years of the 20th century, and some members rank among the more influential mobsters in American history. Alumni include infamous criminals Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Johnny Torrio, Frankie Yale and of course, Paul Kelly."
(mobsters.8m.com) Johnny Torrio, a bootlegger, was the leader of this gang. His interest in many breweries led him to be a well trusted source of beer, and he had recruited Al Capone as his apprentice. Then when he almost got killed by a North Sider's attack, he decided to leave the gang and let Capone take over. |
"We'll not only reopen places these people have closed, but we'll open 10,000 new ones"(speakeasies) The North Side Gang The North Side Gang, also known as the North Side Mob were a mob in Chicago, led by Dion O'Banion, but when he was murdered, Bugs Moran took over the gang. This gang has been one of Johnny Torrio, and Al Capone's principle rivals throughout the endurance of the two gangs.
On February 14, 1929, around 10:00 am, seven men from the North side gang were gathering a garage warehouse on Clark Street, Chicago. They were most likely there for an important meeting, or to receive a shipment of liquor, when two officers came into the house.
"Seeing the 'officers' and apparently thinking local cops were conduction a routine alcohol raid, the seven men inside lined up against the back wall and put their hands in the air. They were still in a vulnerable position when two machine guns started to fire." (Blumenthal, 2) This day became known as the Valentine Day Massacre. |