In the 1920s, “Speakeasies” were underground clubs during the Prohibition. Since alcohol was
illegal, all the saloons closed, and many popped up underground. “Speakeasies” were a way that people
during the 20's and early 30's obtained alcohol. Usually with a “false front” so the police couldn’t find
them, “Speakeasies” were very popular.
How did the “Speakeasies” obtain the illegal alcohol? Gangsters, Mobsters, Mafia, or Bootleggers
brewed and sold alcohol to the “Speakeasies”, sometimes even owning them. Some famous Mobsters
include Al “Scarface” Capone, “Lucky” Luciano, “Bugs” Moran, and “Machine Gun Kelly”. “When I sell
liquor, it’s bootlegging. When my patrons serve it on a silver tray on Lakeshore Drive, it's hospitality.” –Al
Capone. Gangsters that were successful could be identified by their silk suits, expensive jewelry, and guns.
The gangsters even had a code of honor; “They were businessman above all else and it was not good
business for a speakeasy to be anything but a place of entertainment, music, and women: brawling and
violence were ruthlessly repressed by speakeasy management.” That doesn’t mean that they didn’t fight
outside of their places of business. One of the last, but most famous mobster fights was the “St. Valentines
Day Massacre.” In that event, a total of 7 gangsters from the gang of “Bugs” Moran were brutally shot and
killed. The main suspect behind the massacre was of course, the most famous of them all, Al Capone. The
big Question is, why? Its all about revenge. Capone's friend, Tony Lombardo, was killed the summer
before. The incident was believed to be done by some of Moran’s men.
The Mafia was all about loyalty. Their three principles were;

Silence: no one is allowed to reveal the secrets of the mafia.

Obedience: the boss is superior and his orders are unquestionable.

Assistance: mafia members should always be there for each other.
Now you may wonder who would go to a “Speakeasy”. Flappers and Dandy’s went to them. The thrill
of the experience kept them coming for more. Flappers were sometimes showgirls at the pubs. A lot of
them “got to know” some of the gangsters a little more. Gone were the women in aprons and long dresses.
With their new-found freedom, they went from perfect little house wife, to a sex symbol that will be
forever remembered throughout time. Flappers were seen as a little wild for wearing lots of makeup,
drinking, smoking through long holders, sniffing cocainne, (which was at the time legal) dating freely, and
driving.
How things have changed from then to now.
Things have changed a lot since the 20s. For one, alcohol is legal, so speakeasies
became unnecessary. Some of the old clubs are still around, and are now legal bars. For
example, “The 21 Club” was a very popular speakeasy back in the day. It is still open
today.
After the St. Valentines day massacre, most of the gangsters had been rounded up,
and locked away. The mafia is still out there, it’s just not around as much. In the 20s, the
mafia was found almost everywhere, but in the present day, that isn’t the case. If you go
to Chicago or maybe New York, there may be some, but it isn’t like it used to be. Though
the Mob is still dominant in American organized crime, their influence had continued to
decline up until about 2001. Though the Five Families of New York have been heavily
pursued lately, there is evidence that the Mafia may be experiencing resurgence. The
FBI's attention has turned away from arresting the Mafia and toward eliminating
terrorism in the United States.
Fashions come and fashions go. This proves true with flappers. Their outrageous style
and hair paved a way for women to be able to express themselves in society by the
clothing they wear. Women have come a long way from the 1900s to today. Back then, it
was totally inappropriate for women to wear pants. Could you imagine!? Who knows,
without the flappers crazy styles and mannerisms, we could just as well be the
uneducated house wives, wearing long dresses, waiting on husbands to come home from
work.