...Organized crime was booming in the early 1900’s due to new laws and millions of people immigrating into the country. The 19th amendment was put into place after many protesters argued that alcohol caused men to beat their wives and children and also spend their entire paycheck at the bar. This new law prevented the transportation, buying, and selling of alcohol, which created a crime empire. Gangsters took the country by storm, due to the new market and left scars that are still reminisced in pop culture today. Lucky Luciano was the idol gangster, practically creating the modern mafia and owning an empire without being noticed by the public eye. Luciano’s birth name, Salvatore Lucania was given to him when he was born in Sicily in the mining...
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...Prohibition and The Advancement in Organized Crime Organized crime in the United States dates back to the early 1800s. Crime was a means for immigrants who worked for low wages and lived in poor areas to survive. Gangs, violence and police corruption have all been a way of life for immigrants to make their rise to money and power; but it wasn’t until the passing of the Volstead Act in 1920 that organized crime and the big bosses behind the operations made a name for themselves. Prohibition was the start of the new generation of organized crime that the United States had never experienced before. In the mid-19th century, religious revivals swept the nation in hopes of making an impact on American lifestyles. Temperance societies formed to regulate the sale and distribution of alcohol. (Prohibition). The American Temperance Society, as well as the Women’s Christian Temperance League practiced dry movements, in order to initiate the banning of alcohol (Prohibition and the Rise of the American Gangster). In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson ordered temporary prohibition to reserve grain for food, as America had just entered the First World War (Prohibition). Organizations such as these and the American government were taking a stand against alcohol, believing that the substance hindered the well being of citizens and their communities. In 1920, the Volstead Act, more commonly known as prohibition, was passed to improve American lives. However, the newly inducted amendment quickly...
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...the five Italian/Sicilian-American crime families which include the Colombo’s, the Genovese’s, the Bonanno’s, the Gambino’s, and the Lucchese’s have been dominating New York’s organized crime. Each family has their own unique story about how each family made its way to becoming one of the top Five Families in the mafia. We will be taking a journey and learning the history behind each crime family, from what part of New York they controlled to who controlled each family during that time period, and who currently runs the mafia present day. Before going into the histories of each of these families, below is a hierarchy chart of the organized crime. You will need this to understand how the families were structured, and names that were associated with their titles. Boss: Also known as the “Don”. Has total control over the entire family. Underboss: They are second in command of the family; they give orders usually that comes from the Boss. Consigliere: The family advisor, sometimes they’re professional attorneys. Capo: They are captains or lieutenants; they are in charge of the soldiers and associates. Soldiers: They are the ones that do all the dirty work; they take orders from the Capo’s, and sometimes the Underboss. Associates: Are soldiers who haven’t been a “made man” yet. ------------------------------------------------- The Colombo Crime Family The Colombo crime family was formerly known as the Profaci crime family, originally formed by Joe “The...
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