Research Paper on Al Capone And His Effect on Chicago History

Introduction

Alphonse Gabriel Capone alias 'Al Capone 'was the child of two poor Italian immigrants, Gabriele and Teresa Capone. A law-abiding family raised Capone under impoverished environments. He was expelled from school after assaulting a female. Al Capone was introduced to crime in Brooklyn. The paper talks about the Prohibition Era and how it related to Capone's criminal life, his criminal life and the effects it has to modern crime, Chicago in particular.

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During the 1920s, the United States of America introduced a statutory ban on the manufacture, ingress, and sale of alcoholic brews. The ban existed up until 1933 when the eighteenth amendment was rescinded which led to the authorization of the 21st Amendment. Prohibition of alcohol paved the way for organized crimes in the United States. The term 'organized crime' lacked prominence in the U.S.A before the ban.

It is during this period, Crime lords such as Al Capone were able to acquire wealth (of up to $100 million annually) by running illegal bootlegging businesses. Bootlegging is illegal to manufacture and distribution of alcohol to areas where it is banned by law (Augsdorfer 7). The growing demand for illegal alcohol created the opportunity.

Since the late 19th century, crime and criminal gangs run amok in American urban centers. However, they were limited to street banditry that included small-time extortions. Such lawlessness was popular in predominantly ethnic Jewish, Polish, and Italian neighborhoods. It is no surprise that Capone's parents were Italian immigrants. Before passing the 18th Amendment of 1919, most of the purported organized crimes were schemed by corrupt political and elite class (Mehlum and Ragnar 385).

Mobsters and thugs were under the employ of these bosses who issued orders on how to run the errands (Sanin 83). The nature of these outrages revolved around intimidating the opposition and funneling voters. On the other hand, the corrupt authorities would turn blind eyes and deaf ears to prostitution rings and illegal gambling (Lynch 79). The power dynamics drastically shifted upon the onset of the Prohibition Era. Legitimate bars and alcohol outlets were closed creating a niche for suppliers. The role was best fitted for mobsters.

Bootleg operations primarily needed paramilitary organizations. The gangs had little knowledge of the business. Therefore, they sort to use violence and intimidation to eliminate competitors and protect their breweries from rivals. The mobsters would pay off the police and politicians to provide security for speakeasies (Hirschfeld 59). The thugs accumulated massive wealth, and it was not long enough before political bosses and police started taking orders (Levine and Craig 431). The money turned the small-time robbers into moguls.

The crime lords started hiring lawyers and accountants in a bid to protect their ill-gotten wealth. They began a strategic partnership to safeguard the shipping logistics, and others ventured into real estate investments. The small-time bandits had gradually become businessmen, giving rise to what is referred as organized crime (Owens 27).

The overwhelming business opportunity of illegal alcohol led to interstate and ultimately international distribution. Gang leaders began forging mutual protection pacts. By then, Jonny Torrio (Al Capone's mentor) kept fragile peace pacts, between his Italian-run bootlegging operation and Northside gang, which did not last. It was at this time Al Capone took over leading to an all-out turf war of the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

The prohibition made kingpins such as Al Capone monopolists' on beer, wine, and liquor. Alphonse, in particular, made up to $100 million annually during the mid-1920s. The figure loosely translates to $1.8 billion presently considering the inflation rates. He used as much as half a million dollars to bribe the police and authorities in general. Most of the investments were funneled into casinos and hotels following the legalization of gambling in Nevada (Friedman and Jimmy 611). Setting up these investments created a loophole to track down Capone. Al Capone was not savvy enough to evade tax charges for legitimate businesses. He was continually linked with brutal violent acts, mostly after the death of his brother Frank.

The public lacked tolerance for the gang-dominated lawlessness. The people clamored for justice. One of the shocking killings happened on 1929's Valentine day when Capone's criminals murdered seven of Moran's gang members in cold blood. The police did not find any evidence for the murders. They raided his businesses and gathered charges that would implicate him of income-tax evasion. He was caught on June 5, 1931, on 22 counts of income-tax evasion. Al Capone was arraigned in court and found guilty of the tax evasion charges. He sort of using bribery and intimidation during the trial. His efforts bore no fruits. Capone was found guilty and sentenced to eleven years imprisonment. Capone was sent to a federal prison in Atlanta but was caught bribing guards to receive special treatments.

He was transferred to the notorious island prison of Alcatraz. Alphonse suffered for advanced syphilis which caused dementia. Al Capone spent six years in prison then later released to a mental hospital. He died of cardiac arrest in 1947. When reporting Capone's death, the New York Times headlined "End of an Evil Dream" (Capeci 33).

Outsiders stereotype Chicago with crime rates. These perceptions and opinions cannot be said to be entirely incorrect. Most of the streets are dominated by mobsters, drug gangs, and corrupt operators. These are among the most sensationalized aspects of Chicago. The city has developed an ugly legacy due to the high levels of organized crime. The onset of this menace is associated with the rapid immigration of artisans, farmers, and unskilled laborers. The initial immigrant were law-abiding citizens, but progressively the large groups formed neighborhood gangs which evolved to organized crime during the prohibition era (Haller 225). Al Capone's operations are a perfect example of organized crime in America. However, some scholars such as Blocker (217) are pitted against the idea of Prohibition been the origin of organized crimes.

However, he concurs to the indication that Prohibition and bootlegging budded organized crimes (Blocker 225). Al Capone's operations and other figures such as Eliot Ness shaped not only the history of America but form a unique part of Chicago's history. Al Capone bribed the authorities forcing them to turn their heads to his illicit activities. The tact has been adopted by most of these gangs particularly operating in Chicago. On the other hand, Schaeffer (385) poises that mafia operations, particularly in Chicago, gained prominence through the success in illicit liquor trade during the prohibition era. Schaeffer (385) Goes ahead to explain that, these mafia operations proceeded to other criminal ventures such as illegal gambling, drug, and human trafficking. The gangs fascinated the public.

The factions were characterized by secret rituals, violent crimes, and notorious characters like Al Capone. Gradually, they become part of popular culture. The popularity of these gangs grew and took root in the culture of Chicago. Despite efforts to fight these mafias, they remained active. The bootleg cash grab ended following the repeal of the 18th Amendment. Nonetheless, the black market led by gang leaders (such as Al Capone) did not fade away as expected. The operations shifted to illegal business schemes, money-laundering, prostitution, drugs, gambling and so on (Daniele and Ugo 510). Organized crime was here to stay.

For instance, Capone's gang profited greatly from the Great Depression since he had the cash in a cash-starved economy (Huzel 232). He offered loans to many people who wanted to establish a legitimate business. Initially, Capone's operations were avidly followed by the press (Hendley 153). The public viewed him as a dissident who worked on the side of the people, a Robin Hood figure. Additionally, his generous tendencies, especially on issuing loans, earned him a positive reputation. However, his positive reputation drastically reduced over time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Al Capone was very influential in the introduction of organized crime within Chicago. The structure used by Capone's organization is the typical hierarchy adopted by most of the mafias. For instance, the first organization Capone worked in was led by Johnny Torrio (the leader) and deputized by Al Capone (second-in-command). These structures have been adopted by most of the criminal gangs in Chicago. Organized crime families in Chicago emerged with Johnny Torrio and Al Capone. The culture has persisted since its inception during the bootlegging period. Presently, the government has made significant efforts to stop the gangs. On the other hand, the mafias have expanded to venture in labor racketeering, extortion, and gambling. The fight against these organizations dropped momentum following the 9/11 attacks as most of the resources were channel towards counter-terrorism.

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