Mobsters in the 1920s
By Nessarose and Sarah
Organized Crime in the
1920s
• Organized crime is defined as
organizations that collaborate to
make profit through illegal
business enterprises using illegal
business tactics
• EX: Violence employed to secure
a monopoly in a certain industry
• Organized crime rose enormously
in the 1920s
Famous Mobster from the 1920s
AL CAPONE!
• Al Capone was the crime boss of
the Mafia in the 1920s
• Popular public figure by selling
alcohol during prohibition
• Finely caught in 1931 by the U.S.
department of justice due to tax
evasion
Factors Leading to Rise of Organized Crime
Industrial Revolution
Urbanization
Immigration
Ghettos
Machine Politics
Early Ethnic Gangs
Industrial Revolution
• The 1920s experienced an economic
boom after WWI
• New technologies lead to the mass
production of many products in urban
factories
• For example, the manufacturing of
automobile was revolutionized by
Henry Ford, making cars available to
many people
Urbanization
• In the 1920s the urban population
increased as people were moving to
the cities to find work in the new
industry
• The government supported policy that
benefited urban businesses but hurt
farmers
• Between 1920-1930 urban population
increased by 14,797 while rural
population only increased by 2,267
Immigration
• During the early 1900s there was an
enormous amount of immigration into
the United States
• During the 1920s efforts were made to
lessen the flow of immigration
• The Immigration Act of 1924 put a limit
on the numbers of immigrants allowed
to enter
• However, immigrant populations were
already established in cities
Ghettos
• Ghettos and slums were created to
house all the new factory workers
• Migrant and Immigrants were forced to
live in these urban ghettos and were
separated by ethnic group
• Many conservative (native born)
American despised the culture and
traditions of these new immigrants
Ethnic Gangs and Machine Politics
• In these urban ghettos, small
gangs formed between ethnic
groups and families.
• Street gang leaders were
employed by politicians to secure
votes through campaigning and
violence
• Machine politicians used these
corrupt methods to win elections
THE PROHIBITION
The Prohibition
• The 18th amendment, which banned the
sale, transportation, and production of
alcohol, sparked an colossal increase
in organized crime
• Suddenly gangs could provide a
service, alcohol, that made them
extremely popular in their communities
• Many mobsters, such as Al Capone,
became admired celebrities to some
people
• “If I break the law, my customers…
some of the best people in Chicago,
are a guilty as me”
~Al Capone
21st amendment
• The 21st amendment repealed the
18th amendment
• This amendment took a toll on
organized crime, minimizing the
finances and popularity of mobs
• Organized crime did not
disappear, but it did shrink and
change
Works Cited
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1. "Prohibition." American History. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 22 Oct. 2008 <http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com>.
Summary of prohibition
2. "organized crime." American History. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 22 Oct. 2008 <http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com>.
Summary of historical organized crime and definition
3. "Al Capone." American History. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 22 Oct. 2008 <http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com>.
Summary of Al Capone and his role as a gang leader
4. "Eighteenth Amendment." American History. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 22 Oct. 2008 <http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com>.
Primary source copy of the 18th amendment prohibiting alcohol usage, sale ect
5. "crime." American History. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 22 Oct. 2008 <http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com>.
Contained a sections on the rising crime in the 1920 because of urbanization
6. "Federal Bureau of Investigation." American History. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 22 Oct. 2008 <http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com>.
Summary about how the FBI grew in the 1920s in response to crime rise
7. "Population, Urban and Rural, 1790-2000." American History. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 22 Oct. 2008 <http://www.americanhistory.abcclio.com>.
A chart showing the population of select decades in America from 1790-2004 with urban population and rural population noted
8. "urbanization." American History. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 22 Oct. 2008 <http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com>.
A summary of urbanization throughout American history
9. "Roaring Twenties (Overview)." American History. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 22 Oct. 2008 <http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com>.
A summary of the 1920s
10. "Capone, Al." Online Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. 25 Oct. 2008 <http://school.eb.com/eb/art52186>.
11. “Organized Crime”. Era of Play: 27 April. 2005. Stevenson University. 23 October. 2008. http://www3.vjc.edu/academics/faculty/fgianna/art321/students/section_02/rebecca/homepage.htm
12. Rood, Karen L. Bruccoli, Matthew J. Layman, Richard. American Decades; 1920-1929. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Inc, 1996.
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Music: “Begin the Benguine” Artie Shaw
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Works Cited (Images)
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Chicago Historical Society. "Jury Convicts Capine." Photo Gallery.27 oct
2008www.chicagohs.org/history/ capone/photos12.html (slide 1)
"Why was Prohibition repealed in december 1933?." The great depression.27 oct
2008www.thegreatdepression.co.uk/ (slide 2)
Mangesh&Jason. "LIfestyles of the Rich and famous... Criminals." Mental_Floss. 3/5/2008. 26 oct
2008<www.mentalfloss.com/ blogs/archives/12905>. ( slide 3)
Britannica."power loom” Britannica. Verizon Wireless.27oct 2008<
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic-art/347754/92691/The-invention-of-power-looms-atthe-time-of-the> (slide 5)
"Encyclopedia: Lincoln, Abraham." 2004. The History Channel website. 27 OCT 2008, 12:25 <
http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=227323.> (slide 6)
"ambivalent interationalists." U.S. Diplomacy. 27 Oct 2008www.usdiplomacy.org/
exhibit/ambivalent.php> (slide 7)
Sheena."I think this is a ghetto..." City-Data.com. 12/29/2007. 27 Oct 2008 <http://www.citydata.com/forum/phoenix-area/201527-got-some-storys-hood-4.html> (slide 8)
"Stock Vector: World Flags." iStockphoto. 27 Oct
2008http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup//4112262-world-flags.php?id=4112262 (slide 9)
Fisher, George R. "OUTLAWS." Philadelphia reflections. StumbleUpon. 27 Oct 2008
<www.philadelphia-reflections.com/ topic/10.htm> (slide 11)
"Remember: December 5th is Repeal Day!" Ardenstone. 12/2/2007. 27 Oct 2008
<www.ardenstone.com/ 2007/12/> (slide 12)