Prohibition

Review Question #1,

At the turn of the century Italians migrated to the United States in large numbers. For the most part, they settled in urban areas. With large numbers of Italians in one area, created poverty and limited economic opportunity. This would certainly impel one toward criminal activities. Young Italian Americans found that they were making good money within these organizations. Crimes ranged from robbery, drug trafficking, money laundering and many more. Criminal activities became big business and big money throughout the organized crime network. This would be one of the largest reasons why Italian Americans remand in the business for so long. These subcultures developed patterns of values, norms and behaviors that would become a tradition among the criminal families. They (Italian mobsters) would recruit and promote from their own neighborhoods and ethnic group. Core members of the organization were usually blood or marriage related. Over the past few years the ranks of traditional organized crime successful federal prosecutions using the RICO statue have thinned families out. Federal laws and a constant pressure by the federal government would lead to the arrest and incarceration of many crime bosses over the last 20 years.

Prohibition encouraged the creation of city and region-wide criminal organizations, which allowed Italian gangsters to consolidate their power and keep it longer. Prohibition unleashed an unsurpassed level of criminal violence. The supply and demand for alcohol in the United States grew from making "bootlegging" or importation of liquor a huge business. Profits from this new business trade allowed for organized crime to expand. Prohibition also encouraged cooperation between different crime families and gangs. This cooperation would strengthen and make the crime families harder to bring down.