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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.