Gangsterism in the 1920s
"The Roaring Twenties,"; what a perfect aphorism. It was certainly roaring with music and dance, but it also was roaring with gangsters. In the aspect of gangsterism, the thirties were also roaring. Americans in this time period tolerated criminals, especially those involved in bootlegging. Bootlegging is the smuggling of illegal substances. Bootlegging could have possibly been tolerated because of the recent outlaw of alcohol during this time period, known as the Prohibition. Gangsters were involved in bootlegging, prostitution, gambling, organized crime, and racketeering. Al "Scarface " Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, and John Dillinger were the headliners of this era. Gangsterism provided a risky job but maximum rewards in a time when jobs were scarce and our country was in the midst of a depression. When Congress passed the eighteenth amendment, alcohol was banned in every way from America. People who were addicted to alcohol and even those who were accustomed to the casual drink still had a demand for it. Many would pay top dollar for a drink, they didn't think obtaining alcohol would be too immoral because it was legal just a few years back. Citizens would hold private socials and would serve alcohol to all of the guests, this
Gangsterism was a powerful part of the twenties and thirties. Gangsterism was caused by a domino effect, beginning with Prohibition. Unlike most at the time, they received the Prohibition with open arms. It meant monopoly on liquor, which meant opportunity for money. Greed and lust for power fed these "czars" of cities, commanders of armies. Prohibition ceased after 1933 with the passing of the twenty-first amendment, which legalized alcoholic beverages. Gangsters began to fade along with their prominent source of income...liquor. Some of these gangsters were thrown in jail and others quit before they could be caught. When Capone was apprehended, he said, chuckling, "All I ever did was supply a demand," So many Americans were sneaking around under the law that moral values began to dwindle. Gangsters moved up in the ranks and began more vicious crimes such as murder and massive theft. Most of these crimes were necessary to keep business alive. Murder was widespread because some people who would be paid to keep quiet would talk, in return they would be dealt with...very harshly. Law enforcement of the day was struggling badly. It had police who were under the payroll of organized crime, police who would participate in illegal activities themselves, and morale was hard to come by. Police would not cooperate with one another and share information. The men with the still-good hearts had a desire for personal glory, the hero. the Federal Bureau of Investigation began massive manhunts to destroy gangsterism, and they finally were successful by sending many undercover agents in to the mobs thems
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1081
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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