Al Capone

Prohibition led to the bootlegging of liquor and the gang wars of the 1920’s. The most notorious gangster of all time, known as Al Capone, was the most powerful mob leader of his era. He dominated organized crime in the Chicago area from 1925 until 1931. Capone grew up during the roaring 20s in Chicago. He joined the James Street gang, lead by Johnny Torrio. In 1920, Torrio asked Capone to move to Chicago and work with his uncle who controlled the city’s largest prostitution and gambling ring at the time. Capone had liked that idea. Later that year the Prohibition act came into affect and Capone became interested in selling illegal whiskey and other alcoholic beverages. Al Capone was America's best known gangster and greatest symbol of destruction of law and order in the United States during the Prohibition era because of his leading role in the illegal activities which gave Chicago its reputation as a lawless city.

Capone’s network came through Torrio’s business. Capone and Torrio took over his uncles business after his uncle died (Haller, 358). Torrio’s uncle did not agree with Capone’s idea in the first place. His uncle was shot by his rival, which gave the business to Torrio. They both created the selling of illegal alcohol in the city of Chicago (Haller 359). This impacted the U.S. because it gave many men and women beverages for their needs. Capone developed contacts to obtain imported liquor from Detroit, New York, and Miami (Haller 360). These purchases gave Capone power and wealth because he sold alcohol all over Chicago. After Torrio was shot and almost killed by a rival gang, he retired from the underworld, which left Capone to run the organization alone (World Biography). Now Capone was on the top of his organization and at the age of 26, he was managing more than 1,000 employees, which included a payroll of more than $300,000 a week (World Biography). Capone demanded loyalty from all of his employees. During this time Capone became so rich he gave out free food for Chicago’s unemployed which made him look like a good influence.

Unemployed people did not care that the money he gave them was made illegally, to them money was money. Capone also supplied booze to the poor. “Even though bootlegging was illegal at this point in time, if you got people alcohol, you were respected by the community”(Kobler). People were in the depression at the time, and they were fortunate enough just to receive a little something even though it came from bootlegging. In a way Capone also made another contribution. Capone contributed to the repealing of the eighteenth amendment, and then later on the twenty-first amendment (Kobler). Throughout the Depression, Capone helped people struggle through the tough times by supplying them with food, money, clothing and alcohol.

Since Capone was such a huge criminal, the law enforcement contributed to American society to find a way to stop Capone. “One group that was formed because of him was the Untouchables” (Bergreen). The FBI was also formed because of crime such as the Mafia. More and more police stations were built because of crime, and now today people have more protection because of all the different kinds of crime prevention agencies. If Capone and other criminals like him weren’t around at that time, law enforcement might not be were it is today. Capone is still seen as a common thug outside of Chicago from his organization.

Capone impacted the United States because he was seen as a common thug through out the world. “Capone’s power increased enormously, now that he was the leader of the most powerful gang in Chicago” (American Decades CD-ROM). People around the U.S. heard about Capone’s gang, and recognize him as just another common thug. People saw Capone as a low life man involved in organized crime. Capone has never done any time for the murders he has committed (American Decades CD-ROM). Capone felt powerful because he had always walked out a free man in Chicago, which made him look like a thug to the rest of the Nation. To get on the people’s good side he received publicity for opening a soup kitchen, for those who had been thrown out of work during the depression (Hornung). This made Capone look a little better than a thug on the streets of Chicago. He gave unemployed people food and money only to make himself look innocent. One of the main conflicts Capone was involved with impacted the U.S., which was called the St. Valentines Day Massacre.

On Feb. 14, 1929, the St. Valentines Day Massacre impacted the U.S. because it was the worst display of gang violence. Capone was in Florida during the St. Valentines Day Massacre, but still held responsible for the murder of a bootlegger (American Decades CD-ROM). Capone was held responsible because "Machine Gun" McGurn was given complete control of the hit ordered by Capone. The St. Valentines Day Massacre started by Capone’s partners, whom they trapped the Moran gang into the garage thinking that Capone’s men were police officers. They were in a garage from which they distributed alcohol (American Decades CD-ROM). Capone with a clever idea, chose to act like they were to raid the garage and to arrest Moran’s gang. As all seven members of the gang were facing the wall, Capone’s men shot them, killing all seven. This was obviously a set up by Capone to take over Chicago by demolishing his competition and rival gang. Capone was somewhat successful because he shot and killed seven of Moran’s gangsters, but the main leader, Bugs escaped (American Decades CD-ROM). Bugs had seen the police cars outside the garage and choose not to be involved with the raid. He did the right thing, which was to run away. He was not in the garage at the time because he was supposedly “running late” (American Decades CD-ROM) Capone moved from Chicago and went to Florida with his family where they would be protected. Chicago was an unsafe place for Capone to live because Bugs had escaped the St. Valentines Day Massacre. Now Capone was no longer an easy target to Bugs. Ever since the St. Valentines Day Massacre, Capone was known as the most famous gangster in the 1920s.

The publicity surrounding the St. Valentines Day Massacre was the most that any gang event had ever received. It was not only local publicity, it was a national media event. Capone was immediately noticed by the national conscious and writers all over the country began to write books and articles on Capone (Bergreen). Now Capone was known all over the United States, people now know who he is and what he has done in Chicago. This now impacted many other smaller

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