"After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited."
-18th Amendment, Section 1, 1919
Those words initiated the rise of organized crime in America. With the closing of saloons and pubs, speakeasies sprung up like wildflowers around the country. Bootlegging and rum running became underground businesses, while the rise of mob bosses thrived.
Mostly associated with the Italian nationality, criminal gangs were alive in the inner city. These gangs were mostly dominated by the Irish. It was not until the 18th amendment, that the Irish became the ashes, and the Italians rose from the flames. While today the Mob, and the Mafia are the common terms associated with organized crime, other terms are also applied. Those being the Outfit, the Syndicate, and La Cosa Nostra. La Cosa Nostra was a phrase coined by Charles "Lucky" Luciano and Meyer Lansky, meaning "this thing of ours".
Chicago is perhaps infamous for its role in organized crime, earning a nickname from some as the bootlegging capital of the United States. Chicago was home to notorious gangsters like John Torrio and Al "Scarface" Capone. The geography of the city helped promote and import alcohol from Canada, thus aiding the Mafia in their growth.
The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre made the tension against Capone’s South side, to George "Bugs" Moran’s North side known to the world, ultimately decimating Moran’s men. As Capone made his presence known in Florida, seven of Moran’s men were slaughtered inside a warehouse. Frank Gusenburg, one of the seven victims, lived long enough to inform the police that "Nobody shot me".
"By banding together and aiding each other in case of trouble, by obtaining lawyers and advancing funds, the criminal element has strengthened its position, not only in this city, but in almost every large city in the country. The ring leaders in the movement are old offenders and from their former experiences have a wider knowledge of the law than many policemen."
-Philadelphia Associated Press, 1923
Although Chicago was the only city the thrived in organized crime. New York, Kansas City, Philadelphia, and Detroit were among those who had individuals involved in the Mafia. Detroit, being close to the Canadian border, was a major area for bootlegging. The liquor imported to Detroit was then exported to Capone in Chicago.
Al Capone was one of the most notorious gangsters during the 1920’s. He was a self-made business man. He had a ready smile and a quick handshake, which if you did not play your cards right, could turn out to be fatal. It took 500 gangland murders to make Capone the boss of Chicago. He was public enemy number one. Capone single handedly gave Chicago the nickname “The Lawless City.”
Being a highly know and revered gangster was a big business. Money was made fast and very easily. Bootlegging alcohol was by far the most profitable in the 1920’s; this was because of the prohibition of alcohol. Gambling was another business that paid off; stations sanctioned for gambling were set up all over cities. Prostitution and murders were also crimes that made gangsters quick and easy money.
People of the United States saw not only opportunity in prohibition but a need to make a penny with the Great Depression in the midst. This led to bootlegging (the illegal distribution of liquor, often illicitly distilled), to the financial advantage of organized crime. "Prohibition". 2015. In The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide. Abington: Helicon. With illegal actions happening in the Country, there were kingpins that wanted to capitalize on that possible investment and bring themselves into wealth and power. Prohibition brought the bootlegger into being as a new kind of criminal, epitomized by the career of the notorious Al Capone. This is the time to acquire your Wines and Liquors. Prices are advancing daily and will continue to advance whether Prohibition becomes effective July 1,1919, or January 20, 1920 Prohibition". 2009. In Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase and Fable. Al Capones' reign was throughout the city and the boroughs of Chicago, however there were bootleggers all throughout the entire country. In 1920 during the height of Prohibition, Capone’s multi-million dollar Chicago operation in bootlegging, prostitution and gambling dominated the organized crime scene. Capone was responsible for many brutal acts of violence, mainly against other gangsters.
Little, Cindy M. "FEMALE GENITAL CIRCUMCISION: MEDICAL AND CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS." Journal of Cultural Diversity 10.1 (2003): 30-34. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.
During the nineteen twenties in America, the country had undergone a substantial amount of change throughout the country. These changes included sports, music, fashion, the economy, prohibition, transportation and of course organized crime. Organized crime was a major contributor of the problems of the twenties and a major side effect of the prohibition. Organized crime was at its peak in the nineteen twenties and America hasn’t quite been the same sincense the crime started.
The bosses often used prostitutes to "sweeten" deal between rival leaders or crooked politicians. They were as dangerous as the trained killers were, because they possessed something more powerful than guns. They were just as ruthless as the men that put holes in people's heads; they only came in a nicer package. The Mafia men of the 1920's and 1930's were some of the most influential men in American history. They robbed banks, killed people, stole, cheated, lied and corrupted an already corrupt country. They were not role models, and they did not aspire to be. They were businessmen, men who had only two objectives, money and power. They saw a need for something and they produced it.
“On the one side was a rising tide of professional criminals, made richer and bolder by Prohibition, which had turned the nation “dry” in 1920. In one big city alone— Chicago—an estimated 1,300 gangs had spread like a deadly virus by the mid-1920s” (“The FBI and the American Gangster, 1924-1938”, n.d.). This quote shows that the prohibition era made criminals richer by the illegal sell of alcohol. Since criminals, such as gangs, were getting money for the illegal selling of alcohol, many gangs started to join the business of bootlegging. Competition became a big thing among the gangs, which was one of the causes to why the crime rates went up. In the following quote, it address the crime activity that occurred during the prohibition
Unlike male circumcisions which were practice for religious purposes, female circumcision is done for social convention and is practiced as a way to prepare girls for marriage, as well as conform to societal norms of femininity. Female circumcisions are often motivated by what would be considered proper female behavior and as a way to promote virginity as well as cause pain during intercourse to uphold these beliefs. Much like male circumcision these societal beliefs about sex and purity, have affected these cultures in their convictions that circumcision must be performed to be pure and free of
The Mafia is a secret criminal organization that has great economic and political control over large parts of Sicilian society and operates both criminal and legitimate enterprises in the United States. It is believed to have started during Sicily's late Middle Ages, beginning as separate bonds of strong-arm enforcers hired by local landowners. It eventually evolved into a network of independent groups governing in rural areas. With the Sicilian immigration of the late 19th century, the Mafia began to operate in several large United States cities. During the period of Prohibition it monopolized the trade in bootleg liquor and controlled loan sharking, gambling, and prostitution. Competing Mafia families established mutually recognized territories, reaching agreement by negotiation or by intimidation. By the mid-1930 the Mafia had taken on the institutionalized structure that is now typical of organized crime in the United States.
Female circumcision (sometimes known as Female Genital Mutilation or female genital cutting) has been exercised in many different forms, in many different countries, for a long period of time. Female circumcision is defined as an operation performed to the female genital area that causes harm and changes the organ for no medical reason. Cultural, religious, and social factors are the main causes to FGM, and is mostly practiced on female infants up to the age of 15. This procedure does not benefit any female’s health whatsoever. The majority of people who practice female circumcision are those living in Africa. Coming from an African culture, where people participate in harsh practices such as female circumcision is a huge issue that needs to
La Cosa Nostra Perhaps one of the most poignant moments in American cinema is the closing scene in the film “The Godfather” when Don Vito Corleone’s son Michael takes over his father’s position... and one of the most unforgettable moments, a severed horses’s head lies bloody in a man’s bed. It is this tradition and brutality that characterizes the Mafia, a secret Sicilian society that lives and functions just as much today on American soil as it did and does still in Italy. To understand this organized crime, one must begin to understand how it came to be organized in the first place. During the medieval times in Sicily, Arabs invaded the land and native Sicilians fled and took refuge in the hills. Some of these refugees formed a secret society that gave protection to the people in exchange for money. This group took their name, “Mafia” based on the Arabic word for refuge. In America today, one can hear it also be called “La Cosa Nostra”, or “This Thing of Ours.” In the 1700s,Wealthy people would receive a card with a black hand drawn on and if they did not pay the money, they could expect murder, theft, and violence. During the time Mussolini was ruling Italy, this secret society was under heavy persecution and many fled to the United States. “Don (term for the boss or head of a Mafia family) Vito Cascio Ferro fled to the United States in 1901 to escape arrest. He is known as the Father of American Mafia.” (La Cosa Nostra) Many Italian immigrants came to the United States through Ellis Island in New York, which is today the most important center of organized Mafia crime in the United States. The new American Mafia came to power during the Prohibition by organizing the sale of outlawed alcohol, but after Prohibition was revoked, the Mafia needed a new “racket.” During the war, the Mafia got government issued ration stamps and sold them on the black market. These days the Mafia is involved in running prostitution, unions, construction, and gambling. New York, also called the “City that never sleeps,” houses the Five Families of New York. These Families are highly influential and powerful crime families and each holds claim to certain “rackets.” The Five Families are: Gambino, Bonano, Lucchese, Colombo, and Genovese. While all people in the Mafia are required to maintain certain silence about the workings of the Family, a code of silence called “Omerta,” d...
Pace, Denny F. and Jimmie C. Styles. Organized Crime: Concepts and Controls. Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice Hall: 1975.
There are many different organized crime groups within all different locations in the United States, and they are all known for many different reasons. The Italian American mafia is a very well know organized crime group within New York City. After the death of Giuseppe Masseria in the Casellammarese War, Salvatore Maranzano initiated the organization of the “Families” in 1931. Maranzano introduced the now-familiar mafia hierarchy: boss (capofamiglia), underboss (sotto capo), advisor (consigliere), captain (caporegime), soldier (soldato), and associate; and declared himself capo di tutti capi (boss of all bosses). By declaring himself the capo di tutti capi he was breaking the deal he has made with Lucky Luciano. This later got Maranzano was
Many question whether female circumcision (FGM, genital cutting, etc.) is a form of abuse, is it a humane and morally acceptable practice and how can we fix this horrendous practice? These assumptive thoughts are typically made through the eyes of outsiders, female circumcision is many things and must be looked at through such a lens. Despite, all of this female circumcision is still framed very commonly between these three views, female circumcision is abuse, is a result of patriarchal societies, and is a cultural and religious practice.
Female circumcision, also known as Female genital mutilation, or female genital cutting is a custom that has sparked controversy among many people belonging to other cultures not accustomed to the practice. Within the argument lay a series of debates surrounding the issue as culture and tradition clash with human rights over whether or not this practice should be allowed. Advocates against the practice draw on the prevalence, perceptions, and reasons for conducting FGM to combat what they believe is a human rights issue.