Abbie Dickerson
Casey Reynolds
English III
3 May 2023
Organized Crime In Chicago During The 1920’s
The 1920’s was known for a lot of things but the most dangerous time period is known as the “Chicago’s Roaring 20’s” in America, Chicago became the most violent city due to homicides, drug trafficking, gangsters, and robbery. Not only was it devastating for the citizens of Chicago Illinois but also for the citizens of America.
Gangsters are the very first people to start the crimes. Just because someone identifies as a police does not mean they always have the power to control or defeat a situation. Police often sometimes thought they were somewhat powerless when it came to gangsters: “The gangsters bought off whole waves of police and whole
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Once a robbery starts more than likely there will always be someone wanting to retaliate back. The very first robbery started off “On April 6, 1921, $396,000 was stolen during the transfer of mail bags” (Oldenburg 9). In response “Capone’s men retaliated twice attacking Aiello’s bakery and grocery store” (Oldenburg 6). This shows how one event led to another.
Drug Trafficking started by the people who did not like the fact of alcohol being banned. Soon after prohibition passed people started to involve themselves in wars. Ever since prohibition came to the public it caused “The United States massive boost to crime” (Lane 10). In response to that “Torrio’s move into alcohol prompted other Chicago criminals to do likewise, which inaugurated the so-called Beer Wars” (Oldenburg 3). This shows how people respond to a law they do not agree with.
Homicides usually are the last result during organized crime. Homicides by far have to be the worst part of these crimes because it is taking the life of someone else. It doesn't even matter where you are at, your life can be gone within seconds: “Big Tim answered a knock at the door but found no one to be around. He then stepped outside with Harry Diggs and thirty shots were fired from a car” (Oldenburg 9). Then “In November 1927 police raided an office at 7002 N. Western and found 37 sticks of dynamite materials intended to be used in assassination attempts” (Oldenburg 5). This shows how the crimes have become worse over
The federal government was overwhelmed with cases, so that bootlegging and speakeasies flourished in every city, and well-organized criminal gangs exploded in numbers, finances, power, and influence on city politics.[1]
“I am like any other man. All I do is supply a demand” – Al Capone. 1920’s Chicago, a place riddled with crime and vice became victim to a cultural widespread of lawlessness. Research indicates that the iconic mafia Lord Al Capone “Scarface” saw Chicago as his domain to commit unjust actions however his actions weren’t the sole contributor to the Chicagoan chaos in 1920’s - 1930’s.
Chicago has been one of the most dangerous cities in the world for many years. One of the times that stand out is the Prohibition Era in the 1920s. This Era is key to the history of this great city in many ways. It brought some of the most interesting criminal tactics, and one of the most powerful government entities: the FBI. Al Capone was at the forefront of the socio-political scene of that time.
Crime in the 1920’s In the 1920’s, a large group of gang members, more commonly known as gangsters took their chance to make as much money as possible and acquire as much respect and rank as they could so they would not have to worry about altercations with the police or other rival gangs. However, throughout their troubles in becoming wealthy and powerful they had to break the law on several occasions. Especially, when it came to making money, earning respect and becoming more powerful than other rival gangs.
Al Capone came to Chicago in 1919 at 20 years old and became one of the city’s most successful gangsters in 3 years while attacking and defying prohibition (Karamanski). Al Capone, being one of the top gangsters, committed many crimes which involved disregarding the prohibition and many other gang related crimes. But Capone’s success and legacy left a hold on Chicago. Before Capone, Chicago was always worried about its reputation but after, Capone and other criminals turned Chicago against its reputation and pushed Hollywood to enforce a gangster image on the city (Karamanski). Chicago didn’t wanted to be seen as a crime and gangster ridden city, but the acts of many criminals, including Al Capone, established Hollywood’s gangster image of Chicago, which the city would never be able to get rid of.
In the 1930’s, criminals were viewed inadequate from the public. The public’s perception on these inadequate criminals was that they wanted death penalties for them. Furthermore, the police prohibited people from drinking alcohol. Because of prohibition, organized crime has become terribly and extremely increased such as bank robbery, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and gambling. More than 12,000 murders were happening every year in America by 1926.
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
The 1920s were a period of significant social and economic change in United States history. One important consequence of the decade was the rise of organized crime and political corruption, which created a culture of violence and lawlessness that threatened the stability of the United States. This paper will examine the effects of illegal entrepreneurship, particularly the liquor trade, in two cities—Stockholm and New Orleans—during the Prohibition era. It will also analyze the impact of organized crime on Chicago in the days leading up to the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and the corruption that was rampant in the city before and during Prohibition.
“In one big city alone—Chicago—an estimated 1,300 gangs had spread like a deadly virus by the mid-1920s” (“FBI”). Not only did gangs commit crime against the population, but they also fought with one another, and they took control of the alcohol industry. As you can imagine, this caused even more danger than a simple robbery. Gangster’s used Thompson submachine guns, also known as “Tommy Guns,” and didn’t care who they hit. And now, people had to buy their alcohol from bootleggers and smugglers-you would never know what they could put in there.
Chicago's mafias rose to power through bootlegging, corruption, and political arrangements. The Italian mafia negatively impacted American culture within Chicago during the 1920s
During the 1920’s gang related crime was a serious issue. The leader of all this violence and corruption was a man named Al “Scarface” Capone (“Al Capone”). This organized crime, dehumanization, and corruption, became the ultimate image of Chicago for people throughout the world. He was largely immersed in things like gambling, prostitution, and the illegal sale of liquor. He was not convicted for any of his crimes, even the St. Valentine's Day massacre of 1929, until he was imprisoned for tax evasion (Horan).
Anna Witte Adella Parnell Eng. III Pre-Ap February 13, 2023 Gangsters Corrupting the 1920s The nineteen twenties were full of many memorable moments shaped by writers, politicians, and mobsters. Yet, why do people not know about this fact? Consequently, that would be due to the corruption, bribes, and secrecy mobsters used behind the scenes to drive such social movements during those years.
The 1920s were a time of poverty and strife. This, though, could be avoided at the cost of one's own morality. Due to the fact that the 1920s were a time full of struggle, the mafia and its bosses were able to provide illegal services and established themselves as one of the most powerful groups within America at the time. The mob's capacity to prey on the weak and disenfranchised elements of society during the 1920s and beyond was one of the main factors that contributed to their success.
most of the cops of this time would turn a blind eye and easily take payoffs because their other option was to be killed by the gangsters. The police were just down right scared of them because of this and they knew they were outgunned and had no chance. (FBI) But many of the systems we have developed and still use today were thought of at this time. Our system of fingerprinting is probably the best example but at this time it was still sadly in its infancy and didn 't have all of society in the system.
These crimes groups are independent of one another. If one part of the organized crime group gets caught by the police, then the other part will survive an prosper. Organized crime members goal is to make monetary profit (Knowles,