Organized Crime In The 1930's

Everyone has heard of the notorious Al Capone. Gang leader from Chicago who is responsible for many murders. What some may not know is that he was also a part of a much larger organization known as The Mafia. Defined by Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary as a “secret criminal society” the Mafia controls all organized crime in a particular area. They knew how to get what they wanted without getting caught and were not afraid of anything or anyone. Although the Mafia is still around today their prime years were from the 1920’s to the 1970’s. `Beginning in the late 19th century organized crime rose in popularity among American people. The Mafia and its following depended on family ties, secrecy, and loyalty as they participated in lawless

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.

Criminal activity during the 1920s played a major role throughout the entirety of the decade, as it related to the newfound culture the Roaring Twenties entailed. As the nation strove to achieve the American Dream, parties, money and social representation became a main contribute to an individual’s persona. As these factors were sought to be obtained, many criminal engagements were enacted. These crimes included but were not limited to, bootlegging, organized crime, scandals and murder, which were set by the infamous Al Capone and the Mafia, with contribution to the corruption of the FBI, the KKK and their racial and religious prejudice, Leopold and Loeb, and Warren G. Harding, in relation to the Teapot Dome Scandal. All of these acts are relative to modern society as they paved way for greater emphasis on civil and political issues in the following decades, as society began to regard national security and pushed toward a movement to enact stricter laws and regulations towards individual matters.

Bootlegging, the distribution and dealing of an illegal substance, was becoming increasingly popular with liquor outlawed. Bootleggers would go to great extents to bring in liquor to their customers, prymarily speakeasy owners, as well as making sure they did not lose their customers to the other vaious gangs in the area. To ensure this threats were made to owners, gang wars began, and many murders occurred. (“Prohibition”) Those who became successful bootleggers became emmensly rich and powerful resulting in the expansion and flourishing of organized crime. Most organized crime leaders, gangsters, were wealthy and lived, at least on the outside, a sophisticated and exuberant life. In fact durning the Prohibition Era many people idolized bootlegging and gangs because it was a fast way to get rich and powerful.This would lead to an increase in the population of gangs. These gangs could be extremely dangerous and would kill many, ultimately causing an increase in homicide rates by 13% ("Organized Crime and Prohibition”). The reasoning behind the homicide rates going up is simple; as different mobs became more powerful in their areas and their range of illegal activities expanded they got more attention and this attention caused for rivalrys between different mobs and a higher police involvement in attempting to end the

During the 1920s in an effort to reduce crime and corruption the prohibition on alcohol was passed, little did these law makers know they were only worsening the situation. The streets started to run rampant with crime, and bootleggers rose to power as organized raised as well. As organized crime rose so did the Mafiosas. Throughout the 20th century the mafia has controlled the organized crime scene with an unwavering fist only for its rule to be challenged by other families. The mafia 's bosses give each family its own unique style whether they be a media persona like Al Capone, A brutal killer like Charles Luciano, or completely insane like George Moran.

As a consequence, the prohibition of alcohol opened the doors for a booming illegal liquor sales business and this turned into a sophisticated organized crime that was handle by Italian-Americans gangs along with other ethnic gangs. These people became experts at smuggling, money laundering and bribing police as well as other public officials. The Mafia and gangs were all over the place and were making a lot of profits and therefore they were able to control and bribe officials, doctors and most likely anything. The Italian Mafias became well known. They even got to work together with labor unions and legitimate business. For example, garbage collection, restaurants, trucking and nightclubs. Their success was the ability to bribe officials and business leaders. Basically they were the ones who had control over the states they were distributing. As we know, in all of these Mafias and gangs there is always rivalry and the need of power over the business. Therefore, all of this power needs turned into bloody wars. All of these happened because of the Prohibition of alcohol sales and distribution, and not to mention

We may not see this group but the mafia was big back in the day. The mafia was the leading group in criminal activity in the 1960’s(Darity). The mafia was a group that would make tons and tons of money off of drugs, robberies and murders. They would sometimes pay off cops to look the other way and if they didn’t get what they wanted they would use their firearms. With stronger and more enforced laws, many lives could have been saved.

By the late 20th century the Mafia's role in U.S. organized crime seemed to be diminishing. Convictions of top officials, defections by members who became government witnesses, and murderous internal disputes thinned the ranks. In addition, the gradual breakup of insulated

In the 1920s and 1930s America saw a large growth in mafias & mobs, drug & Alcohol Trafficking, and the organization of crime were a result of the Prohibition.

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,

“He’s a bootlegger,” said the young ladies, moving somewhere between his cocktails and his flowers.” (Chapter 4) Many people wanted to drink, however the people did not want to go to jail for it. The mafia did not really become well known until Prohibition came along. With crime rising, so would stuff like police funding. The reason gangs and mobs were not getting caught is because they had connections in high places. Al Capone was an example of a well known gangster in the Nineteen-twenties. He was one of the gangsters who worked his way up and took over some gangs. I find it ironic Prohibition was enforced the same year Al Capone became popular. Capone would literally bribe authorities just so he would not get caught. “Bootlegging” funds led to both political and violent physical power. I think another reason organized crime increased was because of money. People needed to make easy money and bootlegging was the way to go for some families. Labor Racketeering was another example of organized crime in the 1920s. A typical example of “labor racketeering” would be where a gangster poses as a member of a specific union with the intent of taking it over and collecting money from the salaries of the legit members of the union, or by pilfering

The Mafia way of life may seem like a romantic updated version of the western movie played out on the streets of the big cities where the good guys and the wise guys who share the same instincts and values do battle before an enthralled public but it is actually very different. The Mafia is really just a group of uneducated thugs making money by victimizing the public. Initially, the Mafia was setup as a prominent supplier of bootlegged liquor, but it has spread into many different areas of crime. During this research paper I will discuss three aspects of the Mafia which are crime, structure and decline in leadership.

The Italian Mafia in the U.S. can trace its origins all the way back to the Sicilian Mafia which was founded in Sicily during the 1800’s (Italian Organized Crime). After thousands of years of different armies with different nationalities conquering Italy and exploiting its people, the Sicilians became to be more clannish and family focused. Originally they were just resistance fighters that were protecting their friends and family. They were relied on for protection, justice, and survival. Nobody cared if they got money from it because it came from the oppressive authorities. Members of these groups were known as “Men of Honor” and they were well respected and even admired because they looked out for their family and kept silent sometimes even unto death. They didn’t become an organized crime group until the 1920’s however (Italian Organized Crime). It was around this same time that the US began to see what later became La Cosa Nostra or “our thing,” better known as the American Mafia which was aided by the “thousands of Italian organized crime figures, mostly Sicilian Mafiosi” who came to the United States illegally (Italian Organized Crime). The modern American Mafia is credited to Charles “Lucky” Luciano who came over in the 1920’s (Italian Organized Crime). Luciano structured La Cosa Nostra just like their Sicilian

Imagine living in a world where crime ruled. A world where gangsters were more powerful than politicians, owned the police, and ran the city in whatever way they felt. They robbed whom they wanted and killed when they didn't get their way. Now stop imagining and realize that this happened here in the United States of America in the 1920's. It was run by an organization made up mainly of Italians called the Mafia.

The American Mafia, an Italian-American sorted out wrongdoing system with operations in urban communities over the United States, especially New York and Chicago, rose to control through its accomplishment in the illegal alcohol exchange amid the 1920s Prohibition period. After Prohibition, the Mafia moved into other criminal endeavors, from medication trafficking to illicit betting, while additionally invading worker 's parties and honest to goodness organizations, for example, development and New York 's article of clothing industry. The