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Prohibition

Izzy Einstien and

Moe Smith

Sacco and

Vanzetti

Prohibition made it so it wasn’t safe to legally have any amount of

liquor anywhere even in your own home, as a result it caused

many speakeasies to occur as a way to obtain illegal alcohol.

Speakeasies came to their name because the bartender would tell

their customers to be quiet and “speak easy” as to not be heard

by anyone. Writing this article is not to encourage any of the

readers to go out and become a speakeasy, because it’s illegal and

is a crime. It has been heard that every month, speakeasies are

earning $1370. If a speakeasy comes across a police officer, it has

been rumor that they have been known to give the officer $40 to

keep their mouth shut about what they heard.

A great majority of the money that the speakeasies get is to get high end

security systems, so that they are at a lower risk of getting caught.

Speakeasies use many different containers to trick others into thinking that

they don’t have liquor in there container. Recently, one man had been

caught trying to transport liquor over the border in two containers of eggs.

He drained each of the yolks inside the egg, and then refilled them with

liquor. “There were usually joints, but many of these joints were not

billboard type of joints. You had to knock of five doors and go through 10

houses to get to them. The password usually started with ‘d’ and ended with

an ‘r.’ That was dollar,” (Pitz). A speakeasy was a higher-class establishment

than a bind pig, where they offered food, music, or entertainment, or even

sometimes all three. In the larger cities, some speakeasies would require the

men to wear a coat and tie and the women were to wear an evening dress.

A blind pig on the other hand, was of the lower-class where only beer and

liquor were served.

Lately, Chicago has become the main source of most of the organized

crime gangs, and of course Al Capone. Al Capone has become America’s

best known gangster and is now the single greatest symbol on why there

is a collapse in the law and order. Capone has participated in numerous

illegal activities, which is leading Chicago into a lawless city. Al Capone

grew up in Brooklyn, NY and had been a part of two “kid gangs,” (the

Brooklyn Rippers and the Forty Thieves Juniors). At age fourteen when

Capone was in sixth grade, he decided to quit school. He then became a

part of the well known Five Points gang in Manhattan. While in this gang,

he worked as a bouncer and a bartender at the Harvard Inn. Upon

working at the Inn, Capone received many of his facial scares and soon

became known as “Scarface.” His scares were a result of Capone insulting

one of his customers and then being attacked by his brother.

Capone had once worked for Yale,

where he had received his first arrest

for disorderly conduct. Also, while he

was in New York, he murdered two

men; however no body testified to say

they saw or heard anything so Capone

was never trailed for the murders.

Capone then had hospitalized a

member from a rival gang, so Yale

sent him to Chicago until things were

settled down. While in Chicago,

Capone became a bootlegger for a

man named John Torrio. He became

the top two ranked man and soon was

full time partner in the saloons,

gambling houses, and brothels. Torrio

had been shot by rival gang members,

which allowed Capone to become the

boss. Capone began to control

speakeasies, bookie joints, gambling

houses, brothels, horse and race

tracks, nightclubs, and breweries.

Capone had been reported to have an

income of $100,000,000 a year.

Capone had then been ran out of

Chicago by the police, and turned to

Florida to live. Many have tried to

murder Capone, but were never

success in doing so. Capone had an

extensive spy network located in

Chicago, ranging from newspaper

boys all the way to policemen, so that

when plots were made up, he would

know them before they happened.

Capone had a very well skill with

killing his enemies.

Capone would have his men get an

apartment across the street from the

enemy, and when he stepped outside,

they would gun him down. For each of

Capone’s murders, he always had an

alibi, and it was always quick and

precise. One of Capone’s most recent

killings was the Valentine’s Day

Massacre, which recently occurred,

and of course he had an alibi. Capone

was not only known for his violent

acts and his violent temper, but also

he had a strong sense of loyalty and

honor. All organized crime kept their

illegal operations a secret and the

members only spoke word by mouth.