Organized+Crime-1920's-8th



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[|Organized Crime-1920's-8th] Causes of Organized Crime · The 18th amendment aka Prohibition or “The Noble Experiment” Slide 1 : This was made to lessen the “evils” of alcohol, when in all reality, it made America a much more dangerous and evil place. o Most people that were working to keep this law in place even were involved in some small bribes with bootleggers to make some extra cash; Alphonse “Scarface” Capone was a very well known briber during the 1920’s. He controlled most of Chicago, Al Capone and his crew made about $60 million through bribing and bootlegging. Some of the major organized crime events that he was the leader of Slide 4: The Valentine’s Day Massacre, consisting of “Bugs” Moran and his crew (Al Capone’s biggest competition). Al Capone planned to meet Bugs and his crew at a certain place and he had police dressed men meet him there instead. They brutally murdered the whole mob and wiped out their competition. He was sent to jail in 1932, he died from syphilis in 1947. o  Slide 3: Other well known gangsters include Bonnie and Clyde and John Dillinger. There were violence between many different gangs because they were fighting over control of the booze. o Murder was so widespread in the 1920’s because people who were suppose to keep quiet, would talk, and in return be killed. This is “Organized” crime: I1929 gangsters from all over the country met in Atlantic City, New Jersey to discuss matters such as boundaries and the government to ensure that the relationship between the groups would be peaceful. o  Gangsters reasoning: Al Capone “All I ever did was supply a demand” o  Effect of Organized Crime: This crime led to other crimes as well, prostitution, gambling, narcotics, and kidnapping for ransom. · Another reason for organized crime is the lack of support for the Prohibition; federal law enforcers could not enforce this law. · After the son of Charles A. Lindbergh was kidnapped for ransom and murdered, Congress passed the Lindbergh Law in 1932, making interstate abduction in certain circumstances a death-penalty offense. Much of the alcohol obtained by the mob was smuggled in from Canada. It was used for private distribution or to be drank at "speakeasies". These were underground bars that operated despite prohibition.

Al Capone enjoyed playing up his public relations. He often donated large amounts of money to charities. Despite his criminal activity, much of the public loved him for pumping millions of dollars into the cities.

Along with mobsters and alcohol smuggling there was also organized crime in the sense of con artists. Many con artists ran schemes that promised large returns on stock investment and property investment.

In the 1920's organized crime was hard to fight because a large percentage of city police officers were on a payroll with gangsters.