Mafia in the 1920s

The 1920s was famous for many things, one of which was the rise of power in the mafia. The mafia, or the mob, had the biggest rise in these couple of years due to factors such as prohibition and changes in leadership. Johnny Torrin, a crime boss, handed his seat to Al Capone, who became the people’s number one enemy. It is estimated that Al Capone spent approximately 75 million dollars only on bribes per year. At this time, the government had banned alcohol. It was illegal to drink, sell or buy drinks. When people have the opportunity to drink and buy alcohol, they do not value it as much. Although, when the ability to buy or sell is taken away from them, they realize the value and will do almost anything to get what they want. The mafia took advantage of this, and started importing alcohol from other countries, mostly Europe, and selling it for high prices. No matter how high the price was, people still bought it, making the mafia rich and wealthy. Al Capone received approximately 60 million dollars by selling alcohol. Here are some facts that show the people’s desire for alcohol after it was prohibited. Arrests for drunkenness and disorderly conduct increased 41% and arrests of drunken drivers increased 81%, and this is right after it was prohibited. The 5 main mafia families were the Lucchese, the Bonanno, the Gambino, the Colombo and the Genovese. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre was caused due to mob rivalries. Seven members of the Moran mob were machine-gunned against a garage wall by rivals who wore police attire. It is said that this was Capone’s job, but Capone himself was in Florida.

Sources:

https://lifeinthetwenties.wikispaces.com/Mafia+in+the+1920s

https://prezi.com/z0nyw-flcw4x/the-rise-of-the-mafia-in-the-1920s/