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History of mafia in the 20s
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Who was involved in organized crime in the 1920s?
How did organized crime affect society in the 1920s?
Mafias across the United States were involved in organized crime in the 1920s. Mafia bosses included Al 'Scarface' Capone and Johnny Torrio of the Chicago Outfit and New York kingpin Charles 'Lucky' Luciano. Famous rumrunners (alcohol smuggler) include Arnold Rothstein and William 'Bill' McCoy.
Organized crime contributed to a significant uptick in violence in American cities. Gangsters stirred up corruption in politics and law enforcement. Organized crime also undermined Prohibition by making alcohol widely available across the United States, primarily in illegal bars known as speakeasies.
The childhood of Al Capone
The most infamous gangster of the 20s was by far Al ''Scarface'' Capone. Al Capone was born in 1899 to Italian immigrants in New York City. At a young age, Capone was initiated into the underground crime rings of Brooklyn, at the age of 14 he was permently excluded from school for having punched his teacher in the face. Capone was nicknamed ''Scarface'' after his face was slashed in a bar fight. In the early 1920s, Capone became a highly visible public figure. He carefully built up a public image of himself as a modern-day Robin Hood.
What was organized crime like in the 1920s?
History of mafia in the 20s
- 1920s crime: Bootlegging dominated the illegal alcohol trade.
- Networks operated nationally and globally during prohibition.
- Prohibition fueled a lucrative black market for alcohol.
- Gangsters profited heavily from bootlegging.
Underground industries met the demand for illicit alcohol.
The end of Al Capone
Some fun facts on El Capone
- James Capone, one of his seven brothers, worked in the police force fighting against prohibition
- Among Al capone's most famous quotes, we can remember: " You can get further with a kind word and a gun, than you can with juste a kind word"
- After moving to Chicago he was spotted by Johnny Torrio, one of the leaders of the Outfit who hired him as a bartender and bouncer in the one of its establishments.
Federal authorities launched a massive investigation with the intent of jailing Capone and he was prosecuted in 1931 for tax evasion, which landed him an 11-year sentence in a federal prison. Indeed, FBI couldn't arrest him for his organized crimes due to lack of evidences.