Organized Crime During the Roaring Twenties

The 1920s was an age of drastic social and political changes. For the first time in history, more Americans started living in cities rather than on farms. Americans were wealthier than ever before. People from coast to coast bought similar goods, listened to the same music, did the same dances, and even used related slang. Numerous Americans were uncomfortable with this unfamiliar, urban, and occasionally racy “mass culture”. In fact, for a large number of people in the United States, the 1920s brought more conflict than celebration. However, for a minuscule handful of youth in the nation’s larger cities, the 1920s were roaring. Prohibition gave criminals a way to illegally make money; gangsters, young men who worked in criminal gangs, began selling on the black-market alcohol. Young woman emerged during the 1920s with different appearance, attitude, and behavior; with a bobbed haircut and short skirts.

When one thinks of the FBI, an image of utmost intelligence and professionalism comes to mind, however it was not always this way. Preceding the intricate and expert agency that takes care of national crimes and issues today, there was J. Edgar Hoover and his group of ragtag investigators. In the 1930’s, the FBI was just being founded, rising on the back of the growing organized crime that was taking place all throughout America. Bryan Burrough, author and journalist, takes his readers through this era, describing how organized crime ultimately led to the establishment of the FBI, because to cope with criminal masterminds committing atrocities all throughout America, there needs to be an organized and rational force working to stop them. Bryan

During the 1920s, organised crime was a major issue plaguing federal authorities, as well as the American people. This took place in most big cities across the United States, particularly in Chicago, Illinois, where gangsters such as Al Capone, Bugs Moran and Johnny Torrio dominated all aspects of life. However, at this time, authorities also faced problems from the government through corruption and scandalous actions.

The prohibition caused much controversy in the 1920’s. The 18th amendment was passed on Jan 16, 1920, it said in Title II, Section 3 the National Prohibition Act states that "No person shall on or after the date when the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States goes into effect, manufacture, sell, barter, transport, import, export, deliver, furnish or possess any intoxicating liquor except as authorized in this act." (United States constitution). The Prohibition opened up many big business opportunities in the illegal marketing of alcohol. The people who took advantage of this opportunity were known as “Bootleggers”. With the enactment of this law organized crime was established, allowing men such as Al Capone to capitalize

The 1920s was a “time of great criminal activity, with prohibition laws in America and the world in an economic depression” (Nash, 1). Organized criminals such as American mobsters thrived during this time. Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, and John Dillinger were the most well-known of the gangsters at the time, many of the common people looked to these criminals as “heroes”. There were a tremendous amount of people who turned to criminal activity; mostly because jobs were scarce and

With the emergence of prohibition in the 1920’s came the beginning of speakeasies. The underground became the new home for bars across the United States. For most americans breaking the law now became normal and alcohol was available most everywhere, as long as you knew where to find it. For gangsters the ban of alcohol was just money to take advantage of. Speakeasies were what shaped the 1920’s into the what is now considered the “Classic American Era.” while leaving a permanent mark on society.

Organized crime today differs a lot from the past. For example, during the 1920’s organized crime was primarily a domestic concern and today it is a transnational concern. Before, organized crime was all about having power and looking up for their location and rarely never go beyond there. Today they are just everywhere, per say one group can be in multiple locations at the same time. Today is all about money and controlling licit and illicit enterprises. This new form of organized crime started during the 1970’s and forward, this changed was due to the new era of globalized world, soft borders, and the revolution of technology. All of this opened the doors to a creative and powerful transnational organized crime. How this all started anyways?

The huge public demand for alcohol led to a soaring business for bootleggers. When prohibition began, people immediately wanted a way to drink. Hence, the extremely profitable bootlegging business was born. Before Prohibition gangs existed, but had little influence. Now, they had gained tremendous power almost overnight. Bootlegging was easy - New York City gangs paid hundreds of poor immigrants to maintain stills in their apartments. Common citizens, once law abiding, now became criminals by making their own alcohol. However, this posed risks for those who made their own. "The

Prohibition is when the government illegalized the consumption and manufactures of any type of alcohol. By the 1930, many saloons and bars stayed open even after prohibition law was passed because they were selling bootleg liquor behind the government’s back. Professional criminals joined the underground business of selling bootleg liquor making it a well established underground market. Also in the same year, it was estimated that they were at least 10,000 underground speakeasies (illegal liquors and bars). Speakeasies were prominent and famous is because it’s a profitable job.

Unfortunately, prohibition did not work in favor of the government, but had actually caused criminal activities to rise and the prohibition of alcohol had caused several citizens to disobey the law and rebel. One of these rebellious activities that had begun amongst individuals included bootlegging. Bootlegging began to become very common among citizens who refused to give up alcohol. Bootlegging is the illegal act of manufacturing and selling of prohibited alcoholic beverages, such as liquor. Al Capone was one of the most famous bootleggers during the prohibition and used his profits he had gained from illegal activities involving alcohol to build his criminal persona. Although the sale of alcohol was illegal several people opened speakeasies and began to smuggle alcohol over from Canada and began to sell alcohol in private to

In order to fill the hole, organized crime families moved into the liquor industry. These families would make their fortune off the illegal sale of liquor, but it could cost them their lives. Therefore, organized crime is a damaging and widespread institution; in the 1920’s there was a boom due to prohibition,

Bootlegging by its definition is the illegal production or distribution of liquor, and since it wasn’t illegal to consume alcohol, according to the 18th amendment, bootleggers had plenty of people buying their products. The best place to sell these goods were called speakeasies. These establishments began opening at the beginning of prohibition, they illegally sold alcohol at secret locations

The ‘Roaring Twenties’ was the age of the New Woman, with political liberation to the right to vote, economic liberation to jobs and household appliances, and social liberation to fashion and new norms of behaviour symbolised by ’flappers’. The Volstead Act was introduced in 1919, which prohibited alcohol. Criminal gangs were already powerful but with the Prohibition they gained even more. Therefore the Volstead Act was the key factor in making organised crime organised.

Alcoholic beverages were illegal in the Roaring Twenties, which caused many Americans to develop hidden bars or speakeasies to drink their alcoholic beverages. The number of speakeasies increased tremendously when the Prohibition Act was established. The high number of speakeasies caused organized activity to increase during the Roaring Twenties. “Speakeasies for illicit drinking sprang up, and organized crime activity increased…” (Hutchinson Encyclopedia). Americans during the Roaring Twenties knew that alcohol was

When the 1920’s are brought up, something that almost always follows it is gangster related. Those two are intertwined together because during that time period, gangsters controlled just about everything. They affected every part of people's lives. The government was even affected by gangsters in this time period. And the main cause of all this was because of the Prohibition era.