Prohibition+and+the+Rise+of+Organized+Crime

===Prohibition and the Rise of Organized Crime Prohibition and the rise of organized crime was a dividing element as it caused many mobs, violent "mini-wars", anti-prohibition groups which terrified and osterized citizens. ===

"During Prohibition, the manufacture, transportation, import, export, and sale of alcoholic beverages were restricted or illegal. Prohibition was supposed to lower crime and corruption, reduce social problems, lower taxes needed to support prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in America. Instead, Alcohol became more dangerous to consume; organized crime blossomed; courts and prisons systems became overloaded; and endemic corruption of police and public officials occurred."

 Alcohol became outlauwed by the 18th Amendment, and then later enforced by the Volstead Act (which imposed steep fines on whoever disobeyed the new Amendment).

However the Volstead act did not stop Alcohol from entering the US, for at every border and coast smuggglers were importing the drink to common households and secret bars. media type="youtube" key="DVuwREbGh3w" height="385" width="480" The following are statistics detailing how much worse crime got: With the increased need for Alcohol grew an effect called "[|The chain reaction]" happened. The growing numbers of mobsters began creating "vertical monopolies." These monopolies controlled the production of distribution of alcohol, and where it was sold. -The money earned from bootlegging branched into enterprises (both legal and illegal)  -Mini wars brought bloodshed between rival mobs in certain urban areas. The most norotrious were between Dion O'Banion and Al Capone.

VALENTINES DAY MASSACRE: 7 members of the gang were unloading alcohol when five men came to the garage forcing them to stand against the wall and shot them.
 * "1929:** Mobsters working for Al Capone used the cutting-edge technology of the day, the Tommy gun, to wipe out a rival gang in a garage on Chicago's North Side. The massacre was ordered by Capone to wipe out George "Bugs" Moran and his North Side Gang, which was muscling in on Capone's bootlegging operations. The plan was to lure Moran and as many of his men as possible to a garage at 2122 North Clark Street and take care of business there. Although a shipment of smuggled alcohol is usually given as the bait used, what actually brought Moran's men there that night remains unclear."



Many organizations formed that were anti- prohibition: AAPA (Association Against the Prohibition Amendment) Anti- Anti Saloon League (It lobbied politicians, tried to get newspapers on the "right" side, and printed tons of propaganda tracts"

The WCTU was organized by women who were concerned about the the destructive power of alcohol and the problems it was causing their families and society.

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It connects to today because it is like marijuana. There are gangs who fight to control who sells it, and people who fight for the legalization of marijuana. Lastly people still do it even though it is illegal.
 * Police funding: ** INCREASED ** ** $11.4 Million **
 * Arrests for Prohibition Las Violations: ** INCREASED 102+% **
 * Arrests for Drunkenness and Disorderly Conduct: ** INCREASED 41% **
 * Arrests of Drunken Drivers: ** INCREASED 81% **
 * Thefts and Burglaries: ** INCREASED 9% **
 * Homicides, Assault, and Battery: ** INCREASED 13% **
 * Number of Federal Convicts: ** INCREASED 561% **
 * Federal Prison Population: ** INCREASED 366% **
 * Total Federal Expenditures on Penal Institutions: ** INCREASED 1,000% **

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