Organised crime, including Al Capone

Organised crime, including Al Capone. 

• Organised crime rose from the impact of Prohibition.

Millions of dollars were made by criminals trading illegal alcohol. Prohibition saw a massive rise in organised crime and gangsterism as rival gangs fought for control of the alcohol business.

-Prohibition crime included:

1. Hijackers: stole smuggled alcohol.
2. Speakeasies: illegal drinking clubs sprang up with secret passwords at the door.
3. Bootleggers: sold redistilled industrial alcohol.
4. Rum-runners: smuggled alcohol from Europe, the West Indies, Canada and Mexico.
5. Moonshiners: made their own liquor.

• In Chicago 1926-29, gang warfare led to 1300 murders. Al Capone was a gang leader.

-Al Capone:

1. Al Capone worked for Johnny Torrio, a leading Chicago gangster. 
2. Capone took over from Torrio in 1925 - he was ruthless, making $60 million a year from alcohol and $45 million from gambling, dance halls and race tracks.
3. He used a private army to intimidate voters and fight rival gangs. In 1929, 7 members of a rival gang were machined down in the St Valentines Day Massacre. 
4. Capone was sentenced to 11 years for tax evasion in 1931. In poor health, he retired to his Florida mansion and died in 1947.