Daniel Aboumrad Ms. Roach Honors English 10 15 February 2023 The Untouchables In just one raid by The Untouchables, they halted the means of production for a brewery that yielded twenty-thousand gallons of alcohol each day (Ruth). This was only one of Capone's breweries that they shut down; in total, The Untouchables cost Capone over one million dollars with their raids (Coakley). Successful raids like this defined the crime-fighting abilities of The Untouchables. In the 1920s, the “Untouchables” impacted the system of crime in Chicago by ridding the streets of notorious criminals such as Al Capone. To comprehend the legacy of The Untouchables, it is important to first understand the cause of the crimes they were tasked with stopping. Much …show more content…
After the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment, there were many questions as to how the law would be enforced. Such questions were answered by the Volstead Act, which included clarification over the enforcement of Prohibition (“Prohibition.” Encyclopædia). Originally, enforcement of Prohibition was the job of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, which was part of the Treasury Department. This was until the Volstead Act created the Bureau of Prohibition. The Bureau of Prohibition was under the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Treasury Department until it was transferred to the Justice Department ("Prohibition." Gale). These groups were tasked with arresting alcohol-smuggling criminals, including the notorious Al Capone. However, Attorney General William Mitchell did not see progress with the arrest of Capone. Growing impatient, he appointed Eliot Ness to lead a group of Prohibition agents of his own choosing (Holtz). Ness worked for a unit of the Treasury Department with the goal of capturing Al Capone by damaging his finances and destroying his distilleries (Coakley). Ness himself, in his autobiography, listed the qualities he looked for when hand-picking his team of agents; he looked for single men under thirty years old with “the mental and physical stamina to work long hours and the courage and ability to use fist or gun and special investigative techniques.” Ness chose “a good telephone man” with the ability to “tap a wire with speed and precision,” as well as “excellent drivers” to “trail the mob’s cars and trucks.” He also found it important that the agents he chose were unknown to Chicago’s gangsters. (“The Untouchables…”). With this carefully selected team, Eliot Ness led part of the Bureau of Prohibition on a mission to take down Al Capone along with the rest of Chicago’s organized crime (“Prohibition.”
Now why did Eliot Ness and his men risk so much just to get Al capone? Eliot Ness was a very successful guy in his career. He worked as an investigator for the Retail Credit Company, agent in the Chicago branch of the U.S. Treasury department and then transferred to the Justice Department to work for the Prohibition Bureau. That is where he got assigned to bring down Capone. When Al Capone tried to buy him and his men off the case, he let the press know they will be not be bought.
Ness and his untouchables are truly untouchable and together they will protect us they will save us. I theorize that Ness will not only save chicago from the likes of al capone but he will save others as well. I know that most of you like al capone do to the fact he is supplying you with alcohol in your speakeasies but capone is nothing but a tyrant that needs to be stopped and ness is the guy who will stop him he is a smart man and he like his untouchables will never take a bribe. We as a people of this dying city should not give more power and support to a tyrant but should give our support into the one who will heal this dying city by taking down what is killing
Capone was known for smuggling the liquor all the way to New York from Chicago. Getting away with crimes was easy for Capone because he would pay officials and officers and even threaten witnesses to his crimes (Biography.com
Although Elliott Ness and the Untouchables have always had a high profile in the story of Capone's demise, the reality is that IRS agents - not FBI agents - were responsible for his fall. With painstaking care, they meticulously searched the ledgers of Bil Al's
Did you know that Eliot Ness was a nationally known police officer? He did many amazing things in his lifetime. He helped clean up the crime ridden United States during the 1920’s and 1930’s. His life contains many amazing things and accomplishments.
Shortly after Capone arrived in Chicago in 1919 Big Jim was assassinated and people suspected it was either Capone or Yale doing. For the reason that it would administrate Torrio to the boss. When the prohibition was introduced it brought the gang immense wealth because the market for alcohol was in enormous demand the gang started bootlegging. In the year of 1925 there was a failed assassination attempt on Torrio by a rival gang and this frightened Torrio into retirement in Italy. After Torrio retired Capone became the man in charge and he expanded their territory by brutality and viciously annihilating his opposition and bribing corrupt officials and
Much of Al Capone’s success came from taking advantage of the prohibition movement (Baughman 2). Capone had once told reporter Damon Runyon,”I make money by supplying a public demand. If I break the law,my customers . . . some of the best people in Chicago, are as guilty as me”(“Alphonse Capone”
Al Capone was in a mob that often caused a lot of trouble. The mob was interested on illegal brewing, and distilling and distribution of beer and liquor. Even though they caused a lot of trouble, they were never investigated, no matter how many people they killed or laws they broke. (“Al Capone”) He was responsible for one thousand or more murders, certainly hundreds.
Searching for Al Capone is the main topic of The Untouchables, but Al is not all that Eliot is looking for. Eliot has continued taking down breweries with the help of his crew and the public. Finally, he has been able to get Capone’s mob to crack and arrested many members including Al for charges against prohibition. After finishing The Untouchables, I started American Gun which goes back before prohibition, even before the Civil War, to find the best guns in America’s history. So far, Chris Kyle has discussed the importance of the American long rifle for sniping in the Revolutionary war, and also the importance of the spencer repeater in the civil war for quicker reloading.
Moreover, as Al Capone reached his thirties prohibition striked, gangs saw this as an opportunity to acquire money. As a result of prohibition, Al Capone led dishonorable organized crime that he is known for today.
Prohibition began with the regime created in 1919 by the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act. The 18th Amendment banned the manufacture, distribution or sale of intoxicating liquor and The Volstead Act enforced the amendment. Although the amendment banned the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcohol, it did not prohibit use or production of alcohol for personal consumption. By putting a ban on the sale of alcohol, this opened up many doors, especially for Al Capone and the mafia. Prohibition became effective January 1920, the reasons leading up to prohibition were reasons such as the national mood turning against drinking alcohol as they felt that it was destroying the nation, practical reasons, religious reasons and moral reasons.
Al Capone was a representation of the falling of order and lack of respect for laws. It is kind of crazy to think of all the things Capone did, he was only put away for tax invasion. This rise of Al Capone makes me wonder how dangerous he would have become if alcohol band wasn’t in effect. You can really bring into question the different possibilities and what ifs if prohibition had never
Al Capone Al Capone, a mob boss. In 1920s the mob was at its peak. The mob made alcohol, had prostitutes and gambled during the prohibition. The prohibition was when the 18th amendment was passed, the 18th amendment banned alcohol in the United States. Capone was one of the more well known mob bosses.
Capone’s mob was one of the many that produced and sold alcohol calling it a “growth industry”, (“Al Capone”). Prohibition was a growth industry for many, it was almost a power vacuum in a way, and gangs were all taking the opportunity to capitalize on this. People all across the country were desperate enough to break the law for a
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PROHIBITION Hayley Smith History class something April 5, 2023 Prohibition refers to the legal banning of the production, sale, and consumption of a particular substance or activity. The prohibition of alcohol in the United States, from 1920 to 1933, is the most well-known example of prohibition. Prohibition was caused by the Temperance Movement, which wanted to restrict the consumption of alcohol due to its effects on public health and morality. Prohibition was a significant time in the United State’s history due to the supporting movements that encouraged lawmakers, the increase in organized crime during the era, and the importance of its failure.