Power In The Great Gatsby

The ban of alcohol created bootleggers; bootlegging is illegally trafficking liquor in violation of legislative restrictions of its manufacture, sale and transportation. Prohibition also caused an increase in other organized crimes. Prohibition finally ended when the twenty-first amendment was passed. In “The Great Gatsby”, Fitzgerald showed how prohibition affected

Joey Fafinski Mr. Skemp 3/14/18 Chicago Gang Violence during Prohibition Prohibition had a major impact throughout the United States. The Volstead Act banned almost all forms of alcohol from the the United States. Despite this attempt to eradicate alcohol, alcohol entered the country illegally. This illegal activity led to a major increase in gang violence especially in urban areas. Gang violence in Chicago was particularly significant during Prohibition.

In addition, gang violence is a consequence of today’s drug trade. As of 2012 the Los Angeles Police Department reported across the Los Angeles County, there have been “a total of 39,435 arrests associated with drugs, and 923 deaths aftermath of gang related violence. The illegal drug market in Los Angeles is one of the most profitable, and most violent, across the country” (LAPD). Drugs and gangs tend to integrate perfectly, gangs use drugs to illegally make money; as a result, it kills the competition and gains street credibility in the process. Moreover, it is in the streets where the brutality takes place, gang wars are started because of greed and power over turf.

Members of his gang were often called "American Boys" : a group of non-Italian, native born criminals. "(Lantzer). Before prohibition was enforced, many gangs had their hands tied up in illegal gambling and prostitution. Capone and his gang dominated Chicago and cause lots of fear in people. As Witer explained in his work about Capone's ability with his gang, "By the late 1920's, his gang also dominated gambling, labor racketeering, and other Criminal activities and established contacts with gangs."

Al Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York. Al Capone was developing a reputation of fear while he was working for Johnny Torrio in Chicago in the Colosimo mob which contributed to bootlegging. Al Capone gained intelligence and experience through being the Johnny’s right hand man. When Johnny Torrio died in 1925 Al Capone became the boss of the mob. Al Capone soon became part of the Five Families in New York which consisted of crime families.

In the 1920’s the 18th Amendment caused the prohibition of manufacturing, selling and transporting intoxicating-liquors. Alcohol in the United States was not longer legal. However, this did not stop most people from not consuming any alcohol.

The American government has failed at depleting crime for centuries. During the Prohibition, one of the largest pushes for reform, the government actually helped take crime to a whole new level. The Prohibition gave gangsters a new opportunity to make money through illegal and violent means, thus the rise of organized crime (Beshears). Organized crime came in the form of bootleggers and speakeasies, which made alcohol more dangerous. The risks associated with alcohol worsened with the black market sales of spirits (Hall).

The mafia did not instantly become a global phenomenon, but instead had its humble beginnings in the midst of the illegal alcohol trade. Before Prohibition, most gangs limited their criminal activity to thievery and gambling; but soon transformed into organized groups of “bootleggers”; individuals who illegally imported liquor and resold it to the Americans (Bryan). One prominent example of a bootlegging gangster who became a millionaire would be Alphonse ‘Al’ Capone. To elaborate; because bootlegging had been deemed illegal under Prohibition, Capone had bribed to politicians and police, paying off every law enforcement agent in exchange for immunity in the districts in which he operated his illegal businesses. (Sullivan, 149).

This would spark gang wars which would tear cities apart. Aside of bootlegging, the mobs committed many other illegal acts including murder, theft, and managing prostitution rings. The Untouchables is a TV series based on 1920’s Chicago and is about the most infamous gangster of all time, Al Capone. Capone was notourious for smooth business deals in making maximum profit as well as keeping the peace, until he was crossed. The Untouchables is quite an interesting series, It’s full of action packed scenes that keep the viewer on the edge of their seat!

“Alcohol was seen as the devil’s advocate and banning the substance would help improve the quality of American lives. It caused an explosive growth in crime with more than double the amount of illegal bars and saloons operating than before prohibition.” (Nash, “Organized”). The Eighteenth Amendment was passed with the goal of prohibiting the sale, consumption, and use of alcohol. The Volstead Act was passed to further enhance this Amendment, yet it led to  numerous amount of problems such as an increase in organized crime, rise of speakeasies, and health problems.

By 1932, Americans had reversed the approval and disapproval making the disapproval rating had gone higher. Americans disapproved the prohibition because the criminality and murder went up, business’ were going down and it was impossible to enforce no alcohol. The rate of criminals went up leading to more murders when the Prohibition was enforced. Many criminals such as gangsters, racketeers, bootleggers, and dope sellers got “helped” out by prohibition. Especially in the Great Depression, were alcohol was even more wanted.

Al Capone was researched because he is a very interesting man. The sources used in this article were found on Google Scholar. The 1920’s was rife with organized crime. Al Capone was the leader of a notorious crime family, that led much of the organized crime in the 1920’s. Al Capone’s early life and family shaped him into the gangster he once was.

Alphonse Gabriel “Al” Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York on January 17, 1899. Growing up he became a member of the Five Points Gang where his positon was a bouncer at a brothel. Capone shortly moved to Chicago and became a right-hand man for Johnny Torrio. Torrio ran a big bootlegging operation that supplied alcohol to a vast majority of places in the North.

The 1920’s was a time period of change and a view of a better America. People for all over enjoyed the 20’s for it fashion increase, wealth and power. One of the many groups of people who enjoyed it was the gang and gangsters of the United States. Specifically al Capone a man born in new York, born in a gangster family to continue his life style. Who was al Capone?

). Al Capone was a gangster during the 1900’s. I would consider him to be an entrepreneurial type of person because, he owned restaurants in New York and ran his own gang. Al Capone even gave out free food to individuals in his community. In 1930 his restaurant gave 3,500 individuals food because they were in need of a meal.