ORGANIZED CRIME IN THE 1920s
January 17, 1920 the US ratified the 18th amendment banning the manufacture, sale and distribution of alcohol.
But in the roaring 20s, finding ways to drink became an American pastime!
Gangs that had simply working by robbery, extortion and gambling went into work as BOOTLEGGERS, illegally importing liquor and selling it to the states.
These gangsters became millionaires; Al Capone's income was estimated at $100 million/year (One dollar in 1920 being worth nearly $40 for an unskilled laboror; that put him in the billions were he making the equivalent today)
An interested link here by the way on calculating money then and now: http://www.measuringworth.com/calculators/uscompare/resultwithad.php#
There are very famous mobs and mob bosses from this time (Al Capone being perhaps the best known now). Their "families" grew so large that they eventually divided America into parts for themselves and actually held their own conference in 1928!
It was an extremely bloody time; a time of tommy guns and vendettas; and bribing officials to look the other way...
The above are some headlines from the 1920s that I think give a wonderful overview...
And this concludes my presentation...
-Amanda
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