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Causes
- Prohibition was a widely ignored law.
- Being organised generated massive profit from the criminal gangs.
- Organisation was possible, in part, because it could be protected.
- USA’s coastline and land border.
- Gangs became increasingly competitive and confrontational.
- The organised groups were based on well-established ethnic groups, mainly Italians and Irish communities.
- The gangsters were popular and were seen by many as not actually being criminals.
- Some
individuals became powerful and effective leaders of organised crime groups.
- The
idea of organised crime had been imported into the USA.
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Effects
- Many Americans wanted alcohol and this demand provided criminals with a need to become organised in order to manufacture, distribute and sell alcohol on an industrial scale. In effect, mass law breaking became the momentum for organised crime to develop and flourish.
- These could be used, in turn, to develop other lucrative criminal activities which necessitated further structured organisation. This included such activities as gambling and prostitution.
- The more organised the more effectively the organisation could protect itself. The vast incomes could be used, very marginally, to bribe officials at every level of crime prevention and enforcement.
- Resulted in great difficulty preventing bootleggers smuggling alcohol into the country.
- It was necessary to be organised in order to have enough strength to compete and deter/respond to threats and actual violence.
- There was a readily available source of compliant manpower to draw upon. This also, very often, guaranteed loyalty to the gang and made its position more protected.
- They were a form of ‘modern day Robin Hoods’. This popular support gave them greater freedom to flourish and grow.
- These
included men such as Al Capone and Dion O’Banion, who were both skilled
organisers.
- Imported primarily through Italians and the Mafia.
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