History Of The Five Points Gang

The 1920s in America was an era of partying and major nightlife. With this came an increased crime rate across the country. Statistics show that crime was up 24% in over 30 US cities. This high rate of crime was connected to some of the most infamous criminals of the Roaring Twenties. Including but not limited to the likes of Al Capone, Charles “Lucky” Luciano, Johnny Torrio, and many others. These people were major players in the American underworld. Most of these men made names for themselves by joining gangs in their youth. They would climb the ranks of their respective gangs and form a start-up of their own. These men were sought out by the police for the better part of their lives. They became some of the most infamous criminals of the 1920s, some of the most infamous criminals in history.

The Five Points Gang is the origin for most of these men. The Five Points Gang was a monumental criminal organization based in New York City, it’s where many criminals got their start. Formed in the 1890s the gang was “...named for its location at the intersection of five crooked, narrow, downtown streets'' (Worldpress.com). The modern-day location is near Chinatown in Manhattan, New York. Paul Kelly, an Italian gangster, formed this gang by uniting the remaining members of the Dead Rabbits, Whyos,

Torrio Liquor soon rebranded as the Torrio-Capone brand. Only Yesterday and Since Yesterday by Frederick Lewis Allen talks about the beginning of Capone and Torrio’s partnership. One of Capone’s main roles was leading Torrio’s offense, “...Al Capone had been an excellent choice as leader of the Torrio offensives” (Allen 260). Within three years of working for Torrio, Capone has accumulated 700 men who were adept with firearms to help the offensives. Capone also had the impressive talent of finessing politicians and managing politics. By the mid 20s the two men ran the Chicago Outfit and were some of the most powerful men in