Prohibition & Organized Crime Mark, Millie, Josiah, Parmanand US History II February 25,2013

First lets watch a VIDEO introduction on Alcohol Prohibition and the 18th Amendment in the 1920s

Prohibition The outlawing of alcohol People prohibited alcohol because they felt as if families were: -being torn apart -unemployment issues - economic & morel bankruptcy Difficult to enforce because there were numbers of Americans consuming it People making their own liquor; would often hide alcohol such as rum to mix with other substances to make alcohol. PROHIBITION: this was the outlawing of alcohol during the early 90’s, during this time many families felt they needed to ban alcohol because they felt it was tearing families apart, and that it was the main reason of their financial and economical problems. However, alcohol was difficult to enforce because many American were consuming great amounts of it. This made the prohibition of Alcohol not favorable to Americans. As the law was put into action the spending on alchol increased as did substitutes. By 1925 Americans age 14 and over were drinking 32.2 gallons of alcohol.

Organized Crime Contributing factor to increase in crime was organized crime: -because alcohol was illegal Mafia surfaced during prohibition: -mostly young immigrants Organized Crime had got in the way of prohibition - Al Capone had joined the picture and took over Chicago’s illegal liquor trade. Bootleg Alcohol fueled the work of organized crime, and increased serious crime. Organized Crime: because of prohibition Organized crime to surface because alcohol was illegal. In the organized a group known as the Mafia first surfaced, and Al Capone became known as one of the greatest Mafia leaders. Because of Organized crime serious crimes increased such as Drunk drivers by 81% and Federal convicts by 561%. With Bootlegging  alcohol was highly profitable for everyone involved, 1920's more than 1 million gallons of bootleg liquor had been illegally brought into the United States

Speakeasies They were concealed with false business Required special fronts and passwords or membership cards for entry. Liquor they provided was substantial quality Also known as bootleggers -smugglers who hid booze in their boots Speakeasies: Used a variety of vile products to produce liquor, such as fusel oil, a poisonous liquid found in explosives. Or used “moonshine” form corn and patotoes in their own homemade skills. Also obtained alcohol from government approved suppliers, such as of wine from churches or a doctor. They could pretty much obtained alcohol from any place even though it was illegal

Al “Scarface” Capone A crime lord of the mafia Headed a west gang in Chicago Oversaw a vast empire by -maintaining hits -hiring killers and paying protection for speakeasies Al Capone: A crime lord whose gang fought with many other gangs to control Chicago’s illegal liquor trade and other high profit “rackets” which were drugs, gambling, prostitution, and paid protection including other business. By mid 1920’s Capone was responsible for half of 500 gang killings in Chicago Capone’s by himself had a fortne of 40 million dollars and made 100 million in crime organization

Sites http://www.chicagohs.org/history/capone.ht ml Student Handout 1.4A \ http://www.albany.edu/~wm731882/organiz ed_crime1_final.html