Tuesday, June 4, 2019

How did Chicago's organized crime infiltrate every aspect of society?

The arrival of Alphonse Capone from New York in 1920 when he inherited Giovanni Torrio's gang, along with the passage of the 18th Amendment, marked the beginning of the infiltration of organized crime in Chicago, Illinois. 
Criminal activity began with gambling and prostitution in the 1900's; then gangsters made political connections in order to secure the continued operation of their concerns. Having such rackets in place prepared gangsters for the exploitation of Prohibition. In fact, people's desire for liquor or beer in Chicago seemed to increase when sales became illegal. 
Regarding the sale of liquor, Al Capone contended,

"All I do is to supply a public demand … somebody had to throw some liquor on that thirst. Why not me?" [ http://www.umich.edu/~eng217/student_projects/nkazmers/organizedcrime2.html ]  

With the sales of illegal liquor, Giovanni (John) Torrio, who led the Chicago Outfit, along with the help of Al Capone, turned this Outfit into a criminal machine that brought in 100millionayear.But,conflictsbeganbetweentheIrishgangontheNorthSide,whocontrolledliquorsalesintheirpartofthecity,andtheItaliangangontheSouthSide.Ofcourse,thesegangswereabletocorruptpoliceandpoliticianswiththeiraddedincomesthankstoProhibition.Consequently,thecourtsbecamecorrupt,aswell,andmanyofthegangstersdidnotgetconvictedandserveprisonsentences.WiththemassivefortunethathewasmakingduringProhibition,Caponewasabletobribemostofthelawenforcementagentsfromthehighestrankstolowerones,aswellaspoliticiansindistrictswhereheoperatedhisillegalbusinesses.DuringProhibition,Caponetookovertheoperationofmoredistilleriesandbreweries.Withhisprofits,hethenconstructedevenmoregamblinghouses,speakeasies,andhousesofprostitution,aswellasdistilleriesandbreweriesinthesuburbs.Also,withhisprofitsCaponebeganracketeering,whichistheinvolvementofgangstersintolegitimatebusinesses.Manyofthelaborunionswereextortedbythemob,and,notsurprisingly,somebusinesseswillinglyusedlaborracketeerstohelpcontroltheircompetition,thusbypassingtheShermanAntitrustActthatprohibitedpricefixingandcollectivebargaining.ItiswelldocumentedthatAlCaponesmobwasnotoriousforcoercion.Wheneverbusinessesandemployeesdidnotcontributeapercentageoftheirincomefromenterprises,theyrantheriskoftheirplacebeingblownuportheirbeing"takenforaride."Livingundersuchfearfromthispowerfulmobster,manybusinessesacquiescedtoextortion.Ashisempireincreased,Caponeextendedhis"strongarming."Hebecameabletobribeveryhighofficials.OnesuchofficialwasMayorWilliamHaleThompson,whowasapersonalfriendof"BigJim"Colosimo.WhenthecitywasextremelyshortoffundsduringtheDepression,someofthecityleaderslookedtothemobforfinancialaid,inturnproviding"favors."ThecorruptThompsonwaslaternamedthe"worstmayorinhistory"and,afterhisdeathasafewasfoundthatcontained1.84 million in cash and securities.
http://www.umich.edu/~eng217/student_projects/nkazmers/organizedcrime2.html

https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/al-capone

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