Category: Al Capone

Introduction to the Rivalry

“Within thirty seconds, the seven lay dead on the floor while their killers drove away…” (qtd. In “St. Valentine’s” DISCovering). The competition between the North Side Gang and the South side gang to dominate the alcohol business was fierce. Both gangs did more damage than any other during mob rule. What no one knew was that this day would change perspectives on alcohol across the country. The Saint Valentine’s Day massacre was a bloody incident between two rival gangs in Chicago, Illinois in the 1920s.

Background: The Rise of Capone and Moran

The earlier lives of Al Capone and George Moran heavily influenced their later life choices and actions. By 1929, two dominant rival gangs had been formed in Chicago, Illinois; Al “Scarface” Capone led the South Side Gang and George “Bugs” Moran led the North Side gang (Benson). Capone gathered a large amount of his wealth mainly through the illegal smuggling of alcohol, which was known as bootlegging, but gambling and prostitution also helped him reach his extreme wealth. By 1927, Capone was making roughly $60 million a year and his net worth reached over $100 million. Capone was known for eliminating his rivals if they were to interfere or act as an obstacle. His murder count in 1924 was sixteen and he killed sixty-four people in 1929 alone (History). Al Capone became one of the main public enemies by this point in time. His main goal was to terminate the North Side gang and its leader, George Moran (Benson). Before Capone and Moran led their gangs, each had a different leader. Dion O’Banion was the original leader of the North Side gang and Johnny Torrio led the South Side gang (Gingold). After O’Banion was shot and killed by four customers inside of his flower shop, Earl J. “Hymie” Weiss took over the North Side gang (Cavendish). Weiss gunned down Torrio, so Torrio left Chicago and put his empire in the hands of Alphonse, or Al, Capone, leaving him in charge of the South Side gang. Weiss made multiple attempts to kill Capone, but Capone was the one to eventually kill him. After Weiss’ murder, the North Side gang was left to George “Bugs” Moran (Gingold).

Prohibition: The Fuel to the Gang Wars

The primary reason these mobs and gangs were so prominent was the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment on January 16, 1919. This banned the sale, transportation, and manufacturing of alcoholic beverages, and this law would become known as Prohibition. The Volstead Act was passed the following October to enforce the law (“St. Valentine’s Day” Funk). Prohibition ideations began with the first European colonists. In the late 1800s, the movement to ban alcohol quickly gained more popularity and movement. Supporters of Prohibition thought consumption of alcohol lead to laziness, contemptuous, and moral decay, which could lead to more crime. Prohibition was an overall failure. Drinking became an act of rebellion and status. Due to the passing of this law, mobsters and gangsters began smuggling and illegally selling alcohol. This became known as bootlegging. Gangs made millions by bootlegging alcohol (Benson). The passing of the Prohibition law increased crime rates in the United States during the 1920s (Cavendish). It was brought into southwest Michigan by Al Capone. This was because Southwest Michigan was the halfway point between Chicago, the primary bootlegging city, and Canada (Sheppard). Although violent, bootlegging gangs were not known for attacking the general public, especially not law enforcement figures. Some police officers were paid off to ride alongside the shipments for the gangs to ensure they arrived where they needed to be (Gingold). Prohibition “was a terrible joke; it made millions out of guys like Capone” (qtd. In Sheppard). In conclusion, both the backgrounds of Al Capone and George Moran had profound effects on their later life decisions.

The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre: A Bloody Showdown

The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre itself was a shooting that targeted North Side gang members on February 14, 1929. One day prior to the shooting, George Moran received a phone call about being sold a truck full of whiskey at a heavily discounted price coming from Detroit, Michigan. He ordered the truck to go to the SMC Cartage Company garage on North Clark Street at 10:30 A.M.. This was so he could keep it with all of his other trucks he used for bootlegging (Cavendish). While Moran and his gang were gathered at their garage waiting for the shipment, Capone ordered his main enforcer, Fred “Killer” Burke, to prepare a “surprise” for Moran and his crew (St. Valentine’s DISCovering). “As [Moran’s gang] stood in the winter air, the men were waiting not for an alcohol shipment, as they believed, but their deaths” (qtd. In Sheppard). Four members of the South Side gang, two of whom were dressed as police officers, entered Moran’s garage. The men ordered the North Side gang members to line up against a wall. They shot and killed seven men using at least two Thompson machine guns, a shotgun, and a revolver (Benson). Not only were the victims killed shot, but there were arms, legs, and even heads found that had been severed from the bodies. The machine guns sprayed the victim’s head, chests, and abdomens (Cavendish). Witnesses claimed to see the four South Side members exit and drive off in a detective-like car (Benson). Moran luckily avoided being killed by minutes. He and two of his lieutenants went to the garage that same morning. They spotted a police car, so the trio hid in a nearby coffee shop. Capone’s henchmen mistook one of Moran’s gangsters, Albert Weinshank, as Moran and began the attack. The six men dead on sight were Albert Kachellek, John May, Reinhart H. Schwimmer, Peter Gusenburg, Adam Heyer, and Albert Weinshank. Frank Gusenburg, another one of Moran’s gangsters was found with fourteen bullets in his body, crawling helplessly on the floor, begging for help when the actual police arrived. He refused to reveal any information about what had happened. Gusenberg was transported to a nearby hospital but later died that same day at 1:30 P.M. (Sheppard). Sergeant Clarence Sweeny said to him, “Who shot you, Frank?” and Gusenburg replied with “No one-nobody shot me” (qtd. In Sheppard). The actual execution of the shooting was meticulously thought out. Minimal evidence as to who was guilty was found. The only things the killers left behind were the bullets they shot- mostly from the Thompson machine guns- and the six bodies of the victims (Sheppard). Using updated forensics, it was later discovered the weapons used during the massacre consisted of three Thompson machine guns, one shotgun, and a .45 caliber revolver, making the total five guns. Knives and similar weapons were used to severe body parts from the victims (“St. Valentine’s” DISCovering). The St. Valentine’s Day massacre was a bloody encounter that killed seven North Side gang members.

Unsolved Mysteries: The Aftermath of the Massacre

Sentences and trials for the massacre were limited. Historians believe Capone was responsible for these murders, but it cannot be proved for sure. Some claim a petty bar fight had spiraled out of control and turned into this massacre; others claim Moran ordered the attacks to bring attention to his gang. The Purple Gang, a gang organized in Detroit, was also blamed. Some historians even believe the shooters were actual police officers, not impersonators. Whatever the case may be, the murders remain unsolved (“St. Valentine’s” Funk). Both Capone and Moran were asked for their thoughts on who ordered the attack. Moran told the reporters “Only Capone kills like that” while Capone told them “The only man who kills like that is Bugs Moran” (qtd. In (History). Capone could not be arrested due to him having a sound alibi; he was in his Palm Springs home in Florida when the massacre took place, therefore he could not have killed anyone. But because of his notoriety authorities began to look for other reasons to get a warrant for his arrest (Jones). Because Moran was not present at the time of the murders, he also could not have killed anyone, and because of this, he could not be given a sufficient and fair trial or punishment (Benson). Two of Capone’s gangsters were accused and tried for these murders. One was murdered before he could serve his sentence and the other had an alibi, which was his girlfriend (Cavendish). There were a few eyewitnesses to the incident. From what they told police gunmen went to the garage, some in police uniforms, and pretended to arrest men so they could kill them. Unfortunately for investigators this was not new information and was overall not helpful (History). Capone’s main enforcer Fred Burke became a primary suspect because of the fact he worked with Capone. A warrant was issued for his arrest and a prize of $24,500 was placed on him. Shockingly, Burke was relieved to finally be arrested; he claimed other gangs were out to get him. Four police officers, a sheriff, and a constable surrounded his house. Burke’s father in law answered the door and the six asked to see Richard White, which was Burke’s fake name. His father in law said he did not know anyone by that name. They showed him the warrant and entered the house. Burke was found lying in bed and police arrested him without firing any shots. Burke later died before having a trial or sentencing. Chicago authorities hired Colonel Calvin Goddard to identify the exact weapons used to try to get a lead as to who was guilty. He was known to be an expert on weapons. Goddard tested every Thompson machine gun owned by police in Cook County, but not a single one matched the bullets found at the crime scene. Further testing of forty plus weapons and bullets of seventy-four gang war victims still yielded no results (Sheppard). Special Agent Frank Wilson, along with other members of the Intelligence Unit of the Internal Revenue Service, was responsible for pulling a case together to convict Capone for a separate case because authorities were still certain he was guilty of planning the massacre (History). However, the massacre is still an unsolved case. Despite having multiple suspects rounded up, no one was ever tried or convicted. (Sheppard). Although not solved, the murders on February 14, 1929, remain one of the most notorious crimes to this day.

Decline and Fall: The Downfall of Capone and Moran

The later lives of Al Capone and George Moran quickly went downhill. “With his highly effective organization, his impressive income, and his willingness to ruthlessly eliminate his rivals, Capone had become the country’s most notorious gangster, and the newspapers dubbed him ‘Public Enemy Number One’” (qtd. In History). But shortly after the massacre, Capone’s downfall began. He failed to show up to court in March of 1929 for trial and was arrested for contempt of court. He faced charges of carrying concealed weapons two short months later and was sentenced to jail. Capone was released after nine months for well-behaving (History). Because there was not enough evidence to arrest Capone for the massacre, authorities found another reason to arrest him in 1931- for federal tax evasion. He was one of the most wanted criminals at the time. Capone was sentenced to eleven years in prison. After being found guilty, he went to serve his time first in an Atlanta prison then in Alcatraz, a maximum-security federal prison no longer in operation. Capone ended up being released in 1939 (History). He died at home in 1947 in Palm Springs. Moran’s gang was significantly weakened after the murders took place (Cavendish). Moran held his ground but his gang never fully regained morale or status. Eventually, the North Side gang was entirely taken over by the Chicago Outfit, a larger and more powerful gang that is still around today (Cavendish). Capone “died an invalid recluse… in 1947” (qtd. In History). Despite working for his entire career to be a famous gangster, his status was now irrelevant, and more powerful gangs had already replaced his. After the massacre, unlicensed saloons, or speakeasies, stills, and breweries were targeted to be shut down by Chicago law enforcement authorities. This was because the ban on alcohol had created more problems than it had solved; it created these gangs and forced them to smuggle it because it was illegal to sell it (“St. Valentine’s” Funk). Citizens’ stories about crime helped the repealing of the eighteenth amendment. They helped lawmakers realize the amendment was not solving anything, it was only creating more crime (Gingold). The United States government realized how heavily gangs and mobs relied on this law and how they used it to their advantage. Prohibition was finally lifted in 1933 with the passing of the twenty-first amendment (Jones). Furthermore, the unfortunate reality of being a mobster was they were usually either killed or incarcerated. Even when alcohol was relegalized, the gangs and mobs that had formed as a result were still active. The gang leaders realized they greatly benefitted from having such a large group cooperating, so crime rates did not decrease suddenly (Gingold). The massacre itself has gained fame since its occurrence in 1929. Bricks with bullet holes from the killings were sold and some even ended up in The Mob Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada. The building itself was eventually destroyed. Even though it gave them popularity and fame, The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre quickly resulted in disaster for Al Capone and George Moran.

Conclusion: The Legacy of the Gang Rivalry

The gang rivalry between Al Capone and George Moran caused the most famous massacre in the 1920s. Both gangs quarreled over ruling the city of Chicago, destroying anything in their path including the other’s gang. Prohibition was the leading cause of crime rates skyrocketing during the 1920s and for decades after that. In conclusion, Prohibition laws, the Saint Valentine’s Day massacre, and its participating gangs caused the most notorious incident in mob history.

“ Son of a bitch, give me a drink one more night this cant be me son of a bitch if i can’t get clean i’m going to drink my life away. Whoa-oh Whoa-oh whoa-oh-oh-oh …. Let’s give it up to Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats for singing a lyric from their song S.O.B. Ah, S.O.B a song about a man drinking his life away, much like most average Americans of the nineteen twenties. The nineteen twenties a prosperous time to be an American. You have money thanks to the stock market, new entertainment like the radio, new technological achievements, and you have alcohol. At least until nineteen when prohibition comes along but that didn’t stop the people from drinking despite it being in effect. In his book “The Great Gatsby “, F. Scott Fitzgerald mentions and talks about alcohol and prohibition throughout the story a good bit . For example, at the apartment that Tom and Myrtle had together, Nick said he got drunk only two times in his life at that time was one of them. Nick even stated that he got so drunk that he did not even know how he got home this morning.

Let us begin with the eighteenth amendment, the eighteenth amendment was passed through both chambers of Congress in nineteen seventeen and was ratified in nineteen. Now by this time, the eighteenth amendment was in full effect. Now you may be wondering what the eighteenth amendment was if you could not infer this in the introduction paragraph, the eighteenth was the banning, selling, distributing, and making of alcohol. The United States government made the eighteenth amendment in nineteen to initially make people to stop drinking. The government said they needed to make the people stop drinking for a number of reasons, one of those reasons the provided was they needed to stop drinking so it would conserve barley, wheat, and other types of grain. While the amendment was in effect, it did not stop all drinking, selling, distributing, and making all at once. People were still drinking alcohol despite the government’s poor attempts. The government began to take notice that the people were still drinking despite the eighteenth amendment being in effect, and they finally realized that they could not keep the American people from drinking, so on December fifth in nineteen thirty three the united states government passed the twenty first amendment. The amendment was the repealing of the eighteenth amendment so now people could somewhat drink in peace. (Britannica)

Now then, when people wanted alcohol to drink during this time they either number one already some some how or number two they went to a speakeasy. A speakeasy was a secret bar that served alcohol to people who still wanted to wet their whistle. F. Scott Fitzgerald mentions this in the book and in the movie “The Great Gatsby “, it showed and told us about Nick, Gatsby, and Mr. Wolfsheim going to lunch in a speakeasy. Now let us ask ourselves, how did this particular speakeasy have and acquire this much alcohol, well let me just say that they did not just happen to walk down the street one day and just find a large sum of alcohol laying around on the street for someone to just come and take it into their marry little arms. No, they either got their alcohol from bootleggers or the made it themself. But most got it from bootleggers. Now then where were we? Ah yes, during the nineteen twenties a bootlegger was a man or a women who made, sold, or distributed alcohol. Now during the beginning of the prohibition bootleggers mainly smuggled alcohol into the united states by smuggling it through the Mexican and Canadian borders, but their favorite places to rendezvous and distribute alcohol were little islands off the coast of the united states about three or four miles out because it was outside the united states borders (Britannica ). However, the bootleggers who smuggled alcohol through this process had some problems to develop over time. The united states began to send the coast guard out further along the coast and search ships for any illegal contrabanned. While this caused a little dent in bootleggers smuggling operation, they had other ways of getting alcohol to the people. For example, the united states started letting some industries like certain drug stores to sell medical alcohol but however, it was denatured and you also had to have a prescription. This did not stop the bootleggers however, they either fake prescriptions or they influenced the person to giving them the alcohol. Once the bootleggers got the alcohol, they could not sell it right away because it was deanuated, this means that the alcohol was unfit for drinking because it was filtered with chemicals that made it nearly impossible to drink alone. So bootleggers began to wash out the chemicals by adding water to it which would dilute the chemicals, then they would add a little bit of real alcohol to it for flavor, and then finally, the sold the fixed alcohol to speakeasies and made a profit. (Britannica} Also, another way that bootleggers smuggled alcohol around the united states was rivers and waterways that led into cities and towns. In his book, “The Great Gatsby “, Fitzgerald mentions an instance involving bootleggers and drug stores.

During the prohibition, something happened, something rather bad. You see, by having the eighteenth amendment and by banning alcohol, it gave a rise to criminal organizations. Criminal organizations began to notice that they could make a lot of money by making, selling, and distributing alcohol, so that’s what they did. However, not all criminal organizations got along with one another. criminal organizations began to have gang wars against one another because they were all greedy and wanted to control the liquor industry all by themselves. One instance you may have heard of is the St. valentine’s day massacre. The St. valentine’s day massacre was an event that happened in a parking garage in the nineteen twenties. What ended up happening was that men dressed up as police officers went to a parking garage where some of al capone’s rivals were and they lined them up against the wall and shot them to death because al Capone did not want any more competition with bootlegging. However, everything did not turn out so good for al Capone. Al Capone was found guilty of tax evasion, in other words, al Capone was sent to prison because he did not pay his taxes. So in nineteen thirty three al Capone was sent to prison and his criminal organization went a crippling end all because he did not pay his taxes.

During prohibition, something happened, something rather bad. You see by the government having the eighteenth amendment and banning the selling, making, and distributing of alcohol, it gave a high rise to crime in the nineteen twenties because people could make a profit if they disregarded the eighteenth amendment, and well that’s what happened, gangs and criminal organizations began to form and take the advantages of the eighteenth amendment. One major crime boss the raised up in the nineteen twenties you may have heard of is Al Capone. Al Capone, let’s begin where it all started. Al Capone quit school at the end of sixth grade and became involved with a local gang ( ). As time went on, Al Capone went to Chicago upon the gang leader request where became an influential lieutenant. Al Capone became the new crime boss in nineteen twenty five when the previous crime boss became seriously wounded in an attempt on his life.

Scarface was the nickname gifted to Al Capone due to the noticeable slash across his right cheek. The story of his famous scar was caused by a physical altercation between him and a man by the name of Frank Gallucio. It began with both men enjoying a night out when Al Capone began to hit on a Frank Gallucio’s sister, Lena. Neither Frank Gallucio nor Lena were fond of Capone. Gallucio and Capone got into a heated argument that quickly escalated into Gallucio attempting to plunge his knife into Capone’s neck, however, he missed – due to his intoxication- and sliced the cheek of the infamous gangster.

Years later, Al Capone would become arguably the most famous gangster of all time, running a multi-million dollar operation during the 1920s. He did so by illegally selling alcohol, along with being an avid participator in the world of prositution and gambling, and through his affiliation with numerous murders. Despite these heinous crimes, Al Capone was never convicted of any gang-related charges, instead, the federal government found that the notorious gangster was guilty of tax evasion between 1929-1930. Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to 11 years at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, in 1931.

The federal government was desperately trying to convict Al Capone on whatever charges they could contrive, to finally put an end to his criminal activity. The US government was justified in the conviction of Al capone on tax evasion-related charges because it prevented: bootlegging, murder, and other illegal gang-related activities.

The movement of Prohibition was widely influenced by the temperance movement that began well into the early 1800s. This vast movement gained popularity through woman activists and Christians everywhere, however it fizzled out throughout the century. The idea arose once more, this time, during the post-World War I era, the major contributions being: the 16th amendment, morality, women’s suffrage, and World War I.

The 16th amendment, otherwise known as the federal income tax, replaced taxes on alcohol for the federal government. This amendment stopped the federal government from making profits off alcohol and gave the prohibition movement the argument that the alcohol industry was useless.

Morality was also a huge factor in the prohibition movement. Many groups and organizations believed that the prohibition movement would deter crime rates and domestic violence. Women’s Suffrage greatly influenced the prohibition movement, in fact, it was mostly women who supported this ever since the temperance movement first began. The reasoning for this great deal of support was partly because intoxicated men would come home and then abuse their wives. Many women believed that the banning of alcohol would end their domestic abuse at home.

Finally, World War I played a role in the prohibition movement as well. President Woodrow Wilson signed the Shepard Act, the act that prohibited alcohol in the District of Columbia as a strategy for his political gain during World War I. These factors historians greatly believe contributed to the prohibition reform during the 1920s.

Manhattan was full of dangerous gangs like the Dead Rabbits, Five Points, Daybreak Boys, The Bowery Boys, and more. These gangs ruled Manhattan throughout the late 1800s and well into the 1920s-1930s. History stories states “Throughout the 1850s, the Dead Rabbits excelled at robbery, pick-pocketing and brawling… Rabbits mostly dabbled in petty crime, they were also famous for… their street fights with the Bowery Boys turned into a bloody riot that killed a dozen people” (Andrews). During prohibition, gangs were responsible for petty crimes, gambling, prostitution, and most were affiliated with murder, therefor making them branded for being dangerous.

Another famous gang of New York is the Bowery Boys who were known to have excessive wealth and had legal employment, their rivals were the Dead Rabbits- as mentioned before. The Daybreak boys were infamous for stealing ship’s cargo in the early hours of the morning. To join this ruthless gang, members were required to have killed at least one person to be initiated. History Stories states that “… the daybreak boys were supposedly responsible for more than 30 murders” (Andrews).

Finally, there was the Five Points Gang, which was started by Paul Kelly, a gangster in the late 1800s. He created a new gang with members from several other gangs including the Dead Rabbits. The Five Points were most famously known for robbery and prostitution rings. Al Capone would later join the Five Points and create his empire at the pinnacle of prohibition.

During the prohibition era, the consumption of alcohol was seen as unacceptable in the eyes of many. However, gangsters like Al Capone thrived off of this time by making millions of dollars through bootlegging. It is estimated that Al Capone had made 60 million dollars annually from selling alcohol, alone, today that money would be worth 833 million dollars. If Al Capone would not have been convicted and detained he would have made an additional 120 million dollars, from selling alcohol.

Al Capone was successful in bootlegging through mapping out specific locations in which he could import liquor these locations included: breweries and distilleries in Chicago, other states, and Canada. He distributed the alcohol most commonly through speakeasies, and delivery trucks. During his reign as the most prominent gangster in Chicago, Capone controlled over 10,000 speakeasies. To get away with the crimes Capone illegally bribed politicians and police, so he could continue with his operation. If anyone were to confront the gangster on his illegal activities, they would risk execution. Not only did the conviction of Al Capone prevent further bootlegging, but it also prevented additional murders that would have taken place if it were not for the US government’s involvement.

The US government was justified in the conviction of Al Capone because it prevented murders, potentially saving lives of many, that would have been fallen victims of Al Capone and his gang, the Five Points. It is estimated that Al Capone murdered dozens upon dozens of people, and directed the murder of hundreds more. It is believed by many that the Five Points were responsible for one of the most famous massacres in history, the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Al Capone had quite a few enemies that had accumulated throughout the years from his role as a ruthless gangster, one of them being the North Side Gang. The North Side and Five Points were huge rivals and things heated up between the two on February 14, 1929. Seven North Side gangsters were shot to death by men disguised as police officers in a garage on Chicago’s North Side. Many had believed the shooters were Five Points, and that Al Capone was the master-mind behind the massacre. Despite this, Al Capone was in Florida during the time of the massacre and was never formally charged with the murders of the seven men.

Detaining Al Capone prevented many other murders that would have occurred if it were not for the US government’s involvement. One example of a murder that could have been prevented occurred during the spring of 1929. Capone had found out that 3 of his gang members had double-crossed him. In a furious rage, he had the three men tied to chairs, Capone then proceeded to continuously hit the men with a baseball bat, breaking their bones one at a time. After Capone grew tired of the torture, the three men were shot in the head and left for dead. This is the biggest indication that the US government was rightful in the conviction of Al Capone. If it were not for the US government’s dedication in charging the notorious gangster with any charge they could muster, Capone would have been running his operation for many more years, with many more victims.

Capone was affiliated with much more than bootlegging and murders in which he was most commonly known for, he was also involved with prostitution rings and gambling establishments. In fact, Al Capone made one tenth of his money from gambling, that being 10 millions dollars. During the prohibition era gambling was popularized more than ever before appearing as forms of roulette, card games, and horse race betting. Gambling establishments were primarily run by gangsters, like Al Capone, himself. The allure of gambling during this time was due to the hardships of the Depression, many who partook in it were hoping to beat the odds and win it big. Gambling establishments were able to operate successfully because of the power gangsters had over government officials. Al Capone was able to expand his gambling establishments toward the suburbs of Chicago because of his status. Although not as serious as the numerous murders that Capone had committed and ordered, gambling was unjustified and illegal, thus adding to the numerous things Capone could have been convicted of. This further portrays that the government was rightful with the conviction of Capone.

Al Capone and the five points were also widely known for their involvement in prostitution rings. John Torrio, a member in the five point gang, was a huge organizer in prostitution rings in Chicago, he later passed the business down to Capone. Capone had gotten Syphilis due to his involvement in prostitution rings, he would later die of the disease in 1947. While Capone had an involvement in prostitution rings, he favored other organized crimes such as bootlegging and gambling, as mentioned before.

Lastly, Capone had a huge involvement in another organized crime, labor racketeering. All the gangs in Chicago during this time were linked to labor racketeering. Labor Racketeering being the act of committing crimes through extortion, or coercion. A racketeer then (often forcing) attempts to collect money from another person, gang, or legitimate business. This was a way that many gangs obtained money repeatedly and consistently. This was especially dangerous when the labor racketeering was between two gangs. Often one gang would intimidate the other to gain a percentage of the inferior gang’s profits. The percentage demanded was sometimes so steep, that it would ruin the inferior gangs’ business. If the superior gang did not gain the percentage of the profits they would often kill the inferior gang. Another tactic of intimidation used by Al Capone was that he had his rival’s speakeasies and gambling establishments raided and demolished. A large factor in Capone’s success was labor racketeering, anyone associated with him had to pay a certain percentage. This organized crime is illegal on 35 separate counts that Capone could have been charged with if it weren’t for the lack of evidence and corrupt government officials. However, it shows that Capone’s charge on tax evasion serves an underlying purpose, punishing the gangster for his countless crimes such as murder, bootlegging, extortion, gambling, solicitation, and numerous more charges.

The US government was not justified with the conviction of Al Capone, Capone v. United States case, because there was no evidence of gang-related activity, which was the clear motivation for the US government to convict the gangster. The US government was unable to convict Capone because he created plausible deniability, making sure there were no connections between him and the crimes he authorized. The US government used conspiracy to back up their investigation on Al Capone, they found that the Gangster was guilty for not filing his taxes. Al Capone was later convicted: on three felony accounts of willfully attempting to evade and defeat income tax between 1925 and 1927 and on two counts with the charge of a misdemeanor for failing to file returns in 1928 and 1929. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison, had a fine of $50,000, and had to pay $250,000 with interest on the taxes he originally failed to pay. Capone violated the 16th amendment in which states, “ Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several states, and without regard to any census or enumeration” (US constitution). However, the conviction was unconstitutional because it violated the 6th on two counts. Firstly, the conviction violated the 6th amendment by denying Al Capone of an impartial jury, with the highly publicized case. It was difficult for the jurors not be biased, with newspaper titles such as “Massacre Confession Puts Capone In Shadow Of Chair!” and “Chicago Gangsters Slay Prosecutor With Machine Gun.” Additionally, the US government violated the 6th amendment by not having evidence to convict Al Capone, Capone’s attorney stated, “…there is not a scintilla of evidence that he willfully attempted to defraud the government out of income tax” (Albert Fink). This, therefore, shows that Capone’s trial was unconstitutional.

The US government was sustained with the conviction of Al Capone- three felony counts of willfully attempting to evade and defeat income tax between and two misdemeanors with the charge of a misdemeanor for failing to file returns- because it deterred the gangster from bootlegging, murder, and other illegal gang-related activities. The primary reason why this conviction was so justifiable was because it prevented Capone and potentially deterred his gang, the five points, from continuing with their murders. Secondly, it stopped Al Capone’s empire from bootlegging because their infamous leader was locked up. Lastly, it prevented Al Capone’s numerous illegal activities such as bootlegging, gambling, organizing prostitution rings and brawls, and labor racketeering. This thereby declares that the case of Capone v. United States was constitutional and justifiable. This is important for readers to know about because Al Capone had a huge influence during the 1920s through the 1930s, and still leaves a legacy today as arguably the most famous gangster of all time. It’s important to think about how such a powerful man was taken down by the US government and goes to show that nobody is above the law.

The history of Alcatraz (1775-1971)

On August 11, 1934, Alcatraz opened its doors. Alcatraz was the maximum high-security, minimum privileged Penitentiary for the most ruthless criminals, or the worst of the worst. That’s where its nickname came from, “The rock.” One of these criminals was Al Capone, who was one of the most wanted gangsters who practically ruled Chicago. Once he was sent to Alcatraz, he later said: “It looks like Alcatraz has got me licked”

Early Alcatraz 1775

On August 5, 1775 Juan Manuel de Ayala (1745-97) mapped and named Alcatraz La Isla De Los Alcatraces, which means the island of the pelicans. Juan Manuel named Alcatraz island this due to the huge flocks of sea birds that visit. Since then, according to https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/alcatraz-island the recorded owner was Julian Workman, who was sent by Mexican governor Pio Pico to build a lighthouse on Alcatraz Island, which would be the first working lighthouse on the west coast. To be more specific, the lighthouse was built on June 1846.

Military Prison Alcatraz 1868

A couple years later in 1850, president Millard Fillmore (1800-74) reserved Alcatraz island for military use. The lighthouse that was built by Julian Workman was finally in use. Other than the lighthouse, 100 cannons were installed for extras, as well as a fortress. The reason why Millard Fillmore built this fortress on Alcatraz island was because of the California Gold Rush and because of the American Mexican war. It caused the population to grow in California. Soldiers soon realized that a enemy attack could happen any moment. Furthermore, Alcatraz happened to be the perfect place to keep an perch to see everything. It was to make sure everything is safe. By the late 1850s, the first military prisoners were being housed on the island. While the use of cannons were not necessary any more, the idea of an prison would continue.

Alcatraz Island 1909-1939

In 1909, the Army demolished the fortress leaving the basement (the military prison) which would act as the lower solitary, (cells that prisoners go to when they act up.) Soon, it came to the Army’s attention that if they were going to run a prison, it needed to be bigger. From 1909 to 1911, the military prisoners from Alcatraz were ordered to build a bigger, better, prison for the U.S Army. As a matter of fact, the U.S Army were using the prison for 80 years! (1850-1933.) Suddenly, the island was given to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (a department where they are responsible for handling convicts who have violated the law or are accused of violating the law.) To make use of the big prison, The Federal Bureau Of prisons (BOP) decided to open a maximum-security, minimum privileged penitentiary for the most unstoppable, notorious rampant criminals and gangsters of the 1920s to the 1930s.

Alcatraz USP 1934

Alcatraz officially opened its heavy steel doors on 1963. Alcatraz opened because of the criminals and gangsters during The Great Depression. Furthermore, these convicts were illegally running underground nightclubs and passing around drugs. Again, illegally. The convicts also committed robberies and killed a lot of people. When Alcatraz opened, they set some ground rules. According to http://www.alcatrazhistory.com, some of the rules were good conduct, which means having a good record and following the rules on Alcatraz island. It also means having no contraband or no unruly behavior. The rules at Alcatraz were very strict, to prevent escape attempts. Some other rules of Alcatraz were Good Work record, which means your reputation at Alcatraz is clean and you’re willing to do your work, happily and not half-heartedly. To get into specifics, Alcatraz island is 1.25 miles off the coast of San Francisco, California. Alcatraz could hold a capacity of 312 prisoners. According to http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/factsnfig.htm, Each cell was 5 ft by 9 ft, plenty to fit a average man. Each cell was filled with an small sink that only ran cold water and a tiny toilet along with an small cot to sleep in. Most prisoners had a privilege to have visitors mainly 1 visitor per month. On Alcatraz, there was an A block, which was the original military prison later blocked offed and abandoned. Block B and C was the main blocks for prisoner cells and block D was solitary confinement, which was 6 cells completely isolated by other inmates and was for the prisoners who act up.

Inmates Of Alcatraz 1934-1963

“The Rock” got its name from their prisoners, who actually experienced Alcatraz. Some notable prisoners were George “Machine Gun” Kelly, Robert Stroud who was known as “The Birdman of Alcatraz” And lastly but most importantly Al Capone, who you might of heard as “Scarface”. These prisoners were notorious for many reasons. George “Machine Gun” Kelly got his nickname from his favorite weapon, a Thompson Submachine Gun. In the article http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/mgk.htm, it claims that His wife, Kathryne Kelly bought him this machine gun and forced him to practice with it, for self-defense. George Kelly was put in Alcatraz because of kidnapping a wealthy oil tycoon and businessman, Charles Urschel. In July 1933 he plotted this plan with his wife, Kathryn Kelly, and both were sent to jail. Kathryn Kelly was sent to a federal jail in Cincinnati, while George was sent to a jail in Leavenworth, Kansas. George Kelly threatened to all the people that he would escape and get his wife and have a happy Christmas. It soon became such a big threat that the was sent by train to Alcatraz in September 4, 1934, to be fully monitored. In Alcatraz, he regretted all of his crimes and missed his wife. He sent letters to Charles Urschel, saying sorry but never got an response. He worked as a laundry person at Alcatraz. George Kelly was released from Alcatraz in 1951 and returned to Leavenworth. On July 18, 1954, George Kelly died from an heart attack. On that exact day, it happened to be his 59th birthday. His wife, Kathryn Kelly was released from prison in 1958 and got an job at the Oklahoma hospital as a bookkeeper. According to http://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/kelly-kathryn-thorne-1904-1998, Kathryne Kelly might have died in 1998.

Another notable inmate was Robert Stroud’s “Birdman of Alcatraz”. Robert got his nickname from his interest of birds. Robert Stroud was sent to Alcatraz because in 1909, he shot a bartender. Then, he took the bartender’s wallet and stole money from him. When police figured out in 1911, Stroud was convicted of manslaughter. After that, he was sent to McNeil Island, a penitentiary in Washington State. His record there was to be very bad. He actually very violent and hard to manage. In the hospital, he was said to have threatened a nurse and when it didn’t go his way, he killed the nurse. On a different day, he stabbed a fellow inmate. After McNeil couldn’t handle Stroud any more, he was sent to a prison in Kansas called Leavenworth. In 1916, Stroud refused to meet an visitor for him, his brother. While the guard said you should, Stroud hated this. So, the stabbed the guard to death. The BOP was fed up with his behaviour so they decided to hang him. But in the meanwhile, he would serve his sentence in solitary confinement. But Stroud’s mother begged for his life. Finally, in 1920, president Woodrow Wilson compromised and said that Stroud would get a life sentence and there would be no release date. Over the time he served at Leavenworth, he developed an interest in birds. One day when the was walking through the recreational yard, the came across a injured canary. After that, the grew an interest with canaries and birds. Due to being locked up all the time, they let Stroud take birds in his cell. Eventually, the even got privilege to write and publish an book on canaries and another one on canary diseases. In 1942, Stroud was transferred to Alcatraz. He was said to have spent 17 years there, 6 in solitary confinement and 11 in the prison hospital. In 1995 he was sent to the federal prison hospital in Springfield, Missouri. On November 21 1963 he was found in the hospital dead because of natural causes and old age.

The last but most powerful American Gangster was Al Capone. His nickname, “Scarface” came from an day at the bar. The made a rude comment to an lady but Capone didn’t realize that her brother was hearing. The lady’s brother came with a knife and slashed his side of his face. Towns people noticed this scar and started calling him “Scarface”. Al Capone was completely ashamed of what happened and didn’t like this name. But before that, in his childhood, Al Capone was raised on the streets of New York City. Al Capone had 8 siblings, and Gabriele Capone and Teresina (Al Capone’s parents) could not afford clothes and good food for all 9 kids. All of the negative things like Gangsters and nightclubs were all a influence to Al Capone because the saw bad things happen. Capone thought it was good. His scar made it easy to believe that he’s a gangster. So, Al Capone grew up to be one of the most notorious and well known gangsters and most richest people in all of Chicago. Before the even reached 20, the was doing bad things which included running nightclubs. As for his reputation, people at Chicago soon figured out that Capone murdered a couple other gangsters from a different group. Since the people in Chicago found out, his reputation lowered. Al Capone didn’t want to go to jail for this or want his reputation to lower. So, as harsh as he looks Capone actually opened one of the first free soup kitchens caused by the great depression. Along with that, he gave free milk to kids at school. It wasn’t long before the police finally realized what really happened. Shortly after, he was sent to the Eastern State Penitentiary. It was supposed to be the toughest jail and sure, it was. But the problem was that the guards were very gullible. Eventually, Al Capone bribed the guards, and soon the guards listened. Al Capone got an VIP cell, which was bigger than any other cell. Other inmates were restricted to 1 peice of their furniture, but Capone fully furnished his cell which the called “home”. Soon the head of the jail saw this happening and quickly sent him on a railroad cart to Alcatraz. When the arrived at Alcatraz, the was standing in line to wait for his cell and inmate number. When he stood in front of the guard, the tried bribing him, like he did in the previous prison. But the guard didn’t let it happen. In alcatraz, he soon discovered that he wasn’t treated special like the did with his fame from being a gangster. The was treated like an normal inmate. One day, he was standing in front of the same guard and told him “It looks like Alcatraz has got me licked”. A while later, Capone was working in the basement of the prison when all of a sudden, a inmate came with a pair of hair cutting scissors and stabbed Capone in the back. Capone was immediately sent to the prison hospital and came back a few days later. On a different occasion, Capone got in a fight with a another inmate at the recreation yard. By this, he was put in solitary confinement for 8 days. After spending 4 and an half years at Alcatraz, Capone got sick. His time at Alcatraz had come to a end. So, he returned to his mansion in Palm Island, Florida, to spend his last few years with family. On January 25, 1947, Capon died of cardiac arrest.

Life At Alcatraz 1934-1963

In Alcatraz, you didn’t just do nothing in your cells, you actually had to work. Along with that, there was an schedule. On a daily basis, at 6:30 sharp a morning whistle blew. In under 15 minutes, inmates were required to clean their cells from top to bottom and clean themselves up and dress. At 6:45, inmates only get 5 minutes to walk out of their cells and eat at the mess hall. Soldiers keep a very sharp eye on the inmates. After that, all inmates go back to their cells to be counted. When the head of the guards finishes, he blows the second-morning whistle. Next, inmates get back out of their cells and make a line strictly one head behind the other. At 7:00, block C and block B went to mess hall to eat. When everyone was finished, guards counted utensils and knives to ensure nobody steals any for a easy weapon. Then, form 7:05- 7:20 inmates are escorted to the recreation yard where they will then be escorted by other guards to go to their specific job. According to http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/daily.htm, the jobs at Alcatraz were Laundry, Tailor Shop (A clothes maker) Cobbler shop (A shoe maker) Model shop (A workshop) gardening, and other shops. From 7:25 to 9:30 men are all required to work. At 9:30 inmates are all counted and after that, they are allowed to take a break and even allowed to smoke in permitted areas. When the whistle blows, inmates are supposed to get back to work immediately. They work until 11:30 where they are lined up and counted again. Following that, at 11:35 inmates line up, and just like in the morning, they line up for what’s called “dinner” but is actually lunch time at the mess hall. They eat for 20 minutes and then are counted right after they are put in there cells. After a 20 minute rest break in their cells, they are unlocked and follow the same work routine as in the morning. At 12:30, inmates go into their shops and work there (same thing as 7:30 in the morning.) They work until 2:30 and take a break period, same as the morning. They then work until 4:15. Prisoners are then counted, again. Prisoners then go into the mess hall and are then counted again. At 4:45, prisoners return to their cells with an count, and the guards lockup their cells. During the duration from 4:45-5:30, the guards switch shifts and count the inmates. At 8:30 they count in the cells. At 9:30, there is a lights out count. The guards at Alcatraz are supposed to count the inmates to make sure nobody has escaped. When they wake up, the same schedule repeats. On holidays, inmates can schedule and reserve spots for haircuts, showers, clothing changes, and recreation. As for shaving, inmates are supposed to shave 3 times a week.

Escape Attempts of all types

But not all inmates followed rules at Alcatraz. Some wanted freedom. They wanted to live life not in prison like the other inmates. But it’s hard to escape when Alcatraz has the highest security and its in the middle of an salty bay, that is to be so cold that many died from hypothermia from escaping. Some of these escape attempts included the shortest escape, the longest escape, and brainy escapes.

One of the shortest escape attempts was by John Bayless. The never planned his escapes, the just made a run for it! By the time the jumped into the water, a guard was already chasing him. One day in 1941, the was working as a garbage detail. This job was actually very privileged because you got to see the bay and get to work outside. AN guard stood close by, watching. John noticed the thick fog and thought that the guard wouldn’t see him, but the did! John ran to the end of the island and jumped in the water but it was too late. The security had already spotted him and the guard blew his whistle. The water was so cold and the fog was so thick the was actually relieved to go back into Alcatraz. His foolish mistake of escaping made him serve more years at Alcatraz. Even so, the decided to escape once again without any thinking. This was when he was at an trail for his crime the committed. The was not successful, though. He was to serve another 30 years at Alcatraz. He tried to escape many times. He continuously went in and out of Alcatraz and once, he even came back to Alcatraz when the tried to escape. He was told to have been out of Alcatraz for 4 months. He was left at Alcatraz as a sick broken man, not the young person the used to be.

Another escape attempt was the longest escape. The longest escape was committed by John Paul Scott. (It’s only a coincidence that the first inmate was named John, too.) In the book Alcatraz Believe It Or Not by: T.C Bakker he says “was John paul Scott the luckiest man alive or the unluckiest?” Well, Scott had been transferred to Alcatraz because he was known for his brainy escapes. Alcatraz was heard to be the place where a prisoner would not escape. So, John was sent to Alcatraz. John got his escape idea when he was sent to work at the prison basement to help the cooks prepare food. A lightbulb flickered when he noticed that 1 guard had to watch both the upstairs and the downstairs. The guard had to switch downstairs in the basement then upstairs, in the prison. John took advantage of this. When the guard went upstairs, that’s when John noticed the bars for windows were half way cut through. So, the ran over and started cutting through the metal. Over the course of days, the window was finally cut through. When the day came he waited until the guard left. Then, he plunged out the window with another inmate he invited and was finally outside. With John, the brung a few pieces of a prison shirt, a few rubber gloves and a long electrical cord. When they got out they were on the west side of the prison building. To get on the other side, they climbed up the wall, with the pipes and when they were on the roof they ran over to the other side of the building on the roof and took the electrical cord and lowered themselves down on the ground. They ran to the edge of the cliff and blew up the gloves and tied them up. Then they stuffed it into their prison clothes like an swim floatie. They jumped in the water and swam. But it was very, very hard because of the choppy water. Making it even harder, the sun had just gone down and it was dark. John’s friend who was with him Darl Dee Parker had lost false teeth because of the such choppy waves. While they were gasping for breath, Darl swam to a small rock called “little Alcatraz” and caught his breath. The cold current forced them to swim towards the golden gate bridge, but that was near the Pacific Ocean which would have made them a meal for the sharks. While they tried to swim to San Francisco, the cold current still forced them to the Pacific Ocean. Both wished that they were back at Alcatraz. The night was getting colder and they were on the verge of getting hypothermia. There fingers, then their hand, then their arms were getting numb. It was getting so hard to move, even their legs weren’t responding. The rocks were cutting his skin and the violent waves tore off his clothes. The was completely naked except for his socks. The wanted to jump on a rock and take a break but now his limbs weren’t even working. Then, the passed out. The waves were too violent and the couldn’t take it. He was washed up on shore of San Francisco, he had made it but he was unconscious. Soon, 2 teenagers found him and called the hospital. The hospital thought the wouldn’t make it but then they warmed him up. He was alive and the made it 3 miles off of Alcatraz but he was then sent back to Alcatraz.

Another escape attempt was brainy ones. The first brainy escape attempt was when 3 inmates made dummy heads. On a early morning of June 12, 1962, 3 inmates didn’t want to wake up. One of the guards said he would wake them up, and then the slapped the pillow. All of a sudden, the head bounced off the pillow and clattered on the floor. The cell was empty and the sirens began to wail. Months earlier, a fellow inmate named Alan West allowed those inmates to lots of resources that other inmates weren’t allowed to. At the end of it, the police figured out that if you moved the inmates bed to the left, it revealed an hole. The hole leads to a workshop in the pipe area where the missing inmates probably escaped because there’s a vent that is a easy escape route! These inmates were never found again…

Another brainy escape was during Alcatraz Military prison. One of the inmates wanted to escape the easy way so when he was working outside, the saw a shed which gave him a good idea. Inside the shed the saw a box. It was big so the jumped into it and had another inmate screw the lid on. The inmate was lucky in three ways: The box was to be sent to an hospital across the bay, the box had said “handle with care!” on the side and the last one was that he actually found this box! When the box actually arrived at the hospital, it wasn’t opened right away. The next morning, the prison found a missing box and a missing prisoner. It was pretty clear what had happened. Concluding that, that prisoner wasn’t found again.

The last brainy escape is probably the most brainy. 4 prisoners who worked at the printing department wanted to escape. In Alcatraz when inmates are allowed to be released early, they get a slip of paper from the government and are sent with clothes, money and other goodies on a silver plate. When they printed out the fake slips, the guards at Alcatraz actually bought it. So, those prisoners were put on a boat and were given all these good goodies. When they arrived at San Francisco, all of the inmates spent money on bars and drinks and had fun. But one inmate was missing. This inmate actually bought plane tickets to think for the long term run. The other inmates were found and put back in Alcatraz because they found out what they actually did. The inmate who bought an plane ticket was never found. Brainy!

Other than these escapes, there were countless other recorded escape attempts. Some were killed by guards, a lot were found missing, most were found, and others never tried escaping.

Alcatraz Closes Down 1963

In 1963, Alcatraz decided to close down. Due to expensive regulations, Alcatraz sent all the prisoners throughout America. In an normal prison, each prisoner is $5 dollars to maintain but in Alcatraz, each prisoner is $10+ dollars and it was to expensive for the government. On top of that, the newest security was pricy but Alcatraz still bought it. The food was exceptionally good for a prison, which was more pricy. Each cell was actually equipped with an radio, which you could put on headphones and listen to. That was also extra expenses. Now, Alcatraz is a tourism spot and is open to the public. Alcatraz is the best spot to visit when you go to San Francisco.

Protest Site Alcatraz 1969-1971

This protest started because of the American Indian war. The American Indians claimed that Alcatraz island was first Indian land. So, they decided to put up a protest. After Alcatraz closed, they occupied Alcatraz by putting their tents and live there. For the protest part, they made a treaty for the government. In the text http://www.nativevillage.org/Inspiration-/Occupation%20of%20Alcatraz%20and%20the%20Alcatraz%20Proclamation%20alcatraz_proclamation.htm, they have the full treaty that the Indians proposed. The Indians painted Alcatraz land with red paint that said things like “this is Indian land” and “Indians are welcome”

They were finally making an point until in 1971 the government forced the Indians off Alcatraz land and told them to move away. The Indians did it with hesitation but finally moved away. They made themselves clear, though. When Alcatraz opened up as a tourist site, everyone sees the red paint that they painted.

Conclusion

Alcatraz is indeed very tuff for inmates. Alcatraz was there from the very beginning: 1775-1971. Some people only know about the prison Alcatraz, but there’s a bigger story than just that. 1775-1971 is well over 1 century! Well, you just think that Alcatraz is just a tourist spot now and that’s it. But some still hear the faint voices and screaming from the worst inmates. Many people think that there is paranormal activity that roams the empty halls of Alcatraz.

In 1920s America, a rise of consumerism had emerged, as well as many new rebellious sentiments. As a younger generation began to rebel against societal norms, different aspects of society would also experience changes that would eventually transform American into a modern society. In an attempt to uphold the morality of society, the government passed the Prohibition Act in 1920 to ban alcohol altogether. Although the concept of Prohibition was initially meant to eliminate crimes or even society’s downfall, it ultimately created even more crime (Parkinson). Due to the greed surrounding new ways to make money, individuals and families began to create organized crime organizations that essentially led to the rise of mobsters, speakeasies, and more.

While Prohibition left people with high hopes of a more traditional society with less crime, it unintentionally led to a rise in organized crime and a culture of rebellion in urban areas. With alcohol now in high demand, more people began to get involved in the business of bootlegging, the illegal distribution of products such as alcohol. Much of the desire to be in industries such as this, or industries of organized crime, came from the selfish desire of people to gain wealth and luxury. Early bootleggers obtained alcohol from other countries, such as Cuba and Canada. They found and utilized places along the coast that lacked government security. When the United States Coast Guard began more closely regulating and searching ships, smuggling became much more difficult and expensive. Therefore, many bootleggers turned to sources of supply within the United States. These sources included “medicinal” whiskey, filtering alcohol that was unfit to drink and even producing their own, which is commonly referred to as moonshining. With the new business of illegal alcohol distribution, places like underground speakeasies became popular, where people who supported new rebellious sentiments of the Jazz Age went to party and drink (“Prohibition”). Throughout the 1920s, people and groups involved in organized crime became prominent, and are still discussed today.

The profit that was now obtainable from organized crime led to large organizations and powerful people running bootlegging operations and other crimes to gain profit. This led to growing violence in relation to crime. These crime organizations often were called gangs and had leaders called gangsters. Some of the most influential gangsters include Pretty Boy Floyd and Machine Gun Kelly. Pretty Boy Floyd became a robber due to his dissatisfaction with lower-class living, and he was eventually gunned down in a corn field by local officers and FBI agents. Machine Gun Kelly, a famous bootlegger, owes his rise in crime to the encouragement of his wife. She eventually even convinced him to kidnap a millionaire, but he was caught for this and sentenced to life in prison, and died behind bars (Blair). These two gangsters are only a couple of examples of how the desire for luxuries and success in the 1920s led to rising crime.

All very influential and prominent gangsters, similar to that of Floyd and Kelly, Legs Diamond and Dutch Schultz, John Dillinger, and Bonnie and Clyde were famous criminals of the 1920s and 1930s. Legs Diamond and Dutch Schultz became powerful figures of the underworld in 1927, causing a conflict between them that led to the shooting down of Legs in 1929. Schultz was accused of organizing this and was gunned down in New Jersey only a few years later. John Dillinger spent the majority of his life in prison and was killed by FBI agents after escaping Crown Point Jail. Bonnie and Clyde were known as public enemies and were highly wanted. They had killed many civilians, but when they killed police officers, other officers fought back and killed the pair (Blair). As shown by these different criminals, people became more violent and less concerned with authority figures. Many, like Floyd, often got into crime with their financial gain in mind and/or wanting to create a better life for themselves.

Although many different criminals rose during the 1920s, possibly the most infamous of these would have to be Al Capone. Growing up in New York, he was surrounded by crime and showed signs of violence as a child. He quit school at 14 after hitting a teacher, and was a part of two different “kid gangs”. He joined a third gang, called the James Street Boys gang, run by Johnny Torrio, who just so happened to become his mentor throughout life. He also served Frankie Yale in the Five Points gang. Before the age of 21, Capone had already been involved in several violent incidents, including when Frank Galluccio slashed his left cheek after Capone made a crude comment to his sister, thus giving him the nickname “Scarface” (“Al Capone”). Capone, already surrounded by crime at a young age, was a prime example of the mass increase of criminals and the desire to bring yourself success through illegal activity.

Capone arrived in Chicago in 1919 but did not waste time in getting in the city’s crime scene. Soon after his arrival, crime boss Big Jim Colosimo was assassinated, likely by Capone himself or Frankie Yale, making way for the rise of Johnny Torrio in Colosimo’s giant brothel business. As Prohibition was rising, these bootlegging operations were gaining wealth and power. Since leaders like Torrio and Capone held so much influence and power, many people feared them, and many others gangsters were also out to get them, as gang leader Dion O’Bannion’s associates unsuccessfully attempted to kill Torrio in 1925 after he and Capone had O’Bannion killed. After Torrio’s retirement to Italy, Capone took over his place as the crime leader in Chicago. Being involved in multiple violent incidents and seemingly larger-than-life scenarios, he gained the attention of many Americans, even influencing a movie, which is an early representation of pop culture’s normalization of crime (“Al Capone”). Capone was involved in some form of organized crime throughout almost his entire life, leading to his influence of those in the crime scene and the fascination of many other American citizens.

In October of 1931, Capone was finally found guilty of 3 of 23 accounts of federal income-tax evasion and conspiracy to violate Prohibition laws. In 1932, he entered the Atlanta penitentiary but was later moved to the new Alcatraz prison in 1934. His eleven-year sentence was ended early, as he became ill with a late stage of syphilis and was admitted to a Baltimore hospital. Eventually, in 1947, he died of cardiac arrest on his Florida estate (“Al Capone”). Although he lived a fairly short life, the impact he left on the American crime scene is not one to be overlooked.

While many individual gangsters held influence in the rising crime, many crime families emerged during the 1920s as part of Mafia groups. Often, these generally Italian crime families worked together to illegally produce and distribute alcohol. Even so, families also had violent disputes with each other, hoping to emerge as a leader in this alcohol trade. One of the most infamous of these incidents was the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, where members of Al Capone’s family gunned down rivals from the Moran crime family while undercover as police officers (“Origins of Organized Crime”). With the rising crime and family involvement in organized crime, safety in big cities declined, and general morality became of less importance.

Due to the low morality and chaos brought into cities by the rise of crime in the 1920s, there were many attempts made to lower and/or stop the crime, some even successful. In 1929, after the stock market crash, Elliot Ness was hired to head the Prohibition bureau in Chicago as a special agent of the United States Department of Justice. His sole purpose in Chicago was to investigate and take down Capone, again showing how much power and influence Capone held. The men he hired to assist him were called the Untouchables, due to their extreme dedication and loyalty. After big raids of places of illegal activity, like speakeasies, they became known to the public and feared. Because of their success in infiltrating the underworld, they helped send Capone to prison with evidence of income-tax evasion (“Prohibition”). Since the government was beginning to really crack down on crime and had even caught one of the biggest crime bosses in America, people likely began to fear authority more and began to move away from committing large amounts of crime.

As much influence as gangsters like Capone and Torrio had in society during their time, the rise of crime that they influenced has also influenced crime scenes today. As the illegal distribution of alcohol was probably the largest source of crime in the 1920s, similarly, illegal drugs are widely distributed and very popular in modern America. Drug use in America leads to similar issues as alcohol did during the Jazz Age, such as gang violence, illegal ways to gain immense wealth, and many crime organizations with the sole purpose of distributing drugs. While authorities took down many gangsters, and gangs and the mafia are less prevalent today, organized crime still holds a role in modern society.

With the influence of prohibition leading to gangs, violence, and bootlegging, organized crime surfaced in the 1920s and still continues to be seen today. The rise of crime during the time of prohibition was so powerful that its influence still holds today, as organized crime is still present in modern society. While the outlaw of alcohol was hoped to bring better society and less crime, it did exactly the opposite and added to the rebellious sentiment of the Jazz Age.

How unescapable is prison? Well, many prisons may seem difficult but eventually, someone will figure a way out. Alcatraz was seen as an inescapable prison but that didn’t stop people from trying. Over the time that the prison was open, many people tried and failed to escape The Rock but not all. Many people have gone there even people like Al Capone have been locked up in prison. But there is still a lot of mystery surrounding the island. Although Alcatraz was built to be inescapable many people found flaws in the prison and can exploit them to make an attempt.

What was Alcatraz? Well, Alcatraz was a prison located in San Francisco, California. The prison is located on a single island and people needed to take boats to get in and out of the island. The prison was considered to be the most secure and inescapable prison in the world. Alcatraz held about around 1500 prisoners. The prison was a maximum security prison and opened in August 1934. Many famous criminals went to Alcatraz including people like Al Capone Machine Gun Kelly, and Robert Stroud also known as “The Birdman of Alcatraz.”

Alcatraz was seen as the most secure prison and was maximum security. The entire island consisted of a prison and some houses for the people that worked there. The warden had the biggest house. Alcatraz was inescapable and many people tried to make attempts but the harsh water surrounding the island made it hard for the prisoners to make it off the island even if they got out of the prison.

In the Prison, there are many famous prisoners. The most famous of them all was Al Capone. Al Capone was the “american gangster.” He was born in Brooklyn, New York. During the prohibition in 1920 Al Capone thrived off of selling alcohol, prostitutes, and gambling. Even though Al Capone was the reason for multiple acts of violence and murders, he was put into prison for tax evasion. That is when he went to Alcatraz. He died on January 25, 1947.

Another famous prisoner was Machine Gun Kelly another American Gangster. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee. His real name was George Kelly Barnes, but he got the nickname from his favorite gun the Thompson submachine gun. He thrived during the prohibition era. Kelly moved to avoid the law and save his family from any harm that could come their way. He was in and out of jail a lot and was considered a model inmate by most. Then eventually he went to Alcatraz for kidnapping. He died on July 18, 1954.