PROHIBITION THE NOBLE EXPERIMENT

PROHIBITION = forbidding of manufacture, sale, all exporting and importing and the transporting of all liquor by law

late 19th century - push for prohibition began Temperance Movement Anti Saloon League – Oberlin, Ohio League announces its demand of prohibition by law

18 th Amendment and Volstead Act January 16, th amendment ratified established the prohibition of alcohol October 28, 1919 Volstead Act clarified the law and set penalties loopholes: 18 th amendment – no mentioning of drinking alcohol Volstead Act – alcohol for medical purposes allowed

Prohibition ≠ no alcohol ineffective control saloons close – “speakeasies” open smuggling, bootlegging The end of the Nobel Experiment Anti-Prohibition movement lack of positive effects stock market crash 1929 and Great Depression

December 5, 1933 the 21 st Amendment The 21 st repealed the 18 th Amendment, making alcohol once again legal. This was the first and only time in US history, that an Amendment has been repealed

Prohibition and the Gangsters large parts of the population were not willing to accept prohibition gangsters satisfied demand for alcohol crime rate sky-rocketed +78% in larger cities organized crime developed larger cities were “ruled” by gangs Chicago – center of organized crime street fights and gang wars

Public Enemy No 1 – Al Capone * January 17, 1899 † January 25, 1947

Alphonso Capone – born not in Italy but Brooklyn, New York son of Italian immigrants one of three children joined New York’s kid’s gangs in early childhood (Brooklyn Rippers; Forty Thieves Juniors) 1918 met Mary Coughlin, had their son Albert “Sonny” Francis and got married 1919 moved to Chicago worked for Johnny Torrio 1925 “inherited” the business after Torrio retired turned Italian style Mafia into a modern American crime enterprise income in his first two years: $ 60 mio from alcohol, $ 45 mio from other sources controlled Chicago politics (Big Bill Thompson) gang violence – Valentine’s Day massacre ( ) – O’Banions 1931 arrested and eventually convicted for tax evasion – sentenced to 11 years originally arrested in Atlanta then transferred to Alcatraz 1939 released but already ill (Syphilis) retreated to Florida January 1947 died from pneumonia and a stroke

Why Scarface ?