Al Capone: Gangster In The 1920's

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After the 1920’s, many gangsters arose from the prohibition era, but only one had emerged as the greatest symbol of lawlessness. Al Capone made a name for himself in his city, and rose up from pennies, to millions. He started his life with petty crime in Brooklyn, New York. After escalating his way up in Brooklyn, Capone moved to Chicago and quickly expanded his illegal empire. His time period and surroundings shaped him to become the most talked about and well known gangster of all time. Without the effects of the 18th Amendment, Al Capone would not have been as infamous a name in Chicago, and the rest of the United States in the 1920’s.
During the prohibition, Al Capone saw his chance to become a future millionaire by bootlegging to provide …show more content…
He raged war on any rival mobs, or any group simply less powerful than his own. Capone was a stand out from other gangsters; he was an expert at how to convince by terror and was not afraid to do so, and never arrested for his multiple murders. His top priority was his bootlegging business, and keeping his income constant. In Theodore J. Karamanski’s article titled “The Legend of Scarface” stated that, “By 1928, his personal income was estimated at $15 million while his criminal empire amassed profits that exceeded one hundred million dollars” (1). Capone provided the public with what they wanted, by using the current laws to his personal advantage. At first, much of the public appreciated Capone, and his ability to skew the rules in order to provide them with the illegal alcohol. “”Everybody calls me racketeer,” said Capone in one of his most effective self-justifications. “When I sell liquor, it’s bootlegging. When my patrons serve it on a silver tray on Lake Shore Drive, it's hospitality.”” (Karamanski 2). When thousands of speakeasies sprouted across the nation, Capone was up for the challenge of running the massive bootleg operations they required, no matter how many would have to die for him to rise to the top. Throughout his countless murders, Capone remained unpunished. “...he realized that he had found a town where he could break the law without …show more content…
Capone’s story could not have happened anywhere in the United States. Prohibition had a growing influence over the city, allowing organized crime to grow to the almost epic proportions. In Chicago today, the crime organizations are not much farther developed and advanced when compared to the time of Capone, but also much more violent. even the city officials try to forget that era in their past. Capone contributes to the tourist attractions in Chicago today, much with the three buildings associated with his past. In the article, “The Legend of Scarface”, Karamanski wrote on page one that, “Chicago was appalled by the way Capone’s brief reign transformed the city’s national and international image. Prior to his arrival, Chicagoans had exulted in their city’s reputation”. Chicago is now known as one of the most violent cities in America, many hope that Chicago will lose this image over time, and put a halt to Capone’s influence. The amount of violence in Chicago has only gone up since Capone’s era, and it comes from the gangs that surround both the city and its stereotypes, that were given to the metropolis because of people like Al Capone. “”Generally we try to preserve buildings which are of historical significance to the city," commented the urban renewal director. "But this is something we'd rather not remember." Not everyone agreed” (Karamanski 2). Many citizens residing in Chicago want to
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