Bootleggers were those who illegally supplied liquor to mainly speakeasies. The name of bootleggers came from Britain where people would smuggle alcohol in their high leather boots. The risks were low with at most a 1,000 fine or 6 months in prison but many bootleggers had the money to bribe policeman and even judges to let them go so rarely got caught. They smuggled the drink in from the West Indies or from Canada.
Gangster quickly took over big cities with their speakeasies and bootleggers gangs. Gangsters were earning around 2$ billion a year which was more then enough to bribe policemen and judges and even mayor which Al Capone once did so he could run the city. Prohibition enabled many gangs to earn a lot of illegal money. Rival gangs fought each other to supply alcohol to speakeasies which included hijacking each others booze supplies and even murdering other gang members.
Al Capone was so influential due to his methods he used like ordering the murder of anyone who refused to follow his commands. This led to him controlling the police force and the mayor. Capone was thought to be behind over 130 murders in the Chicago from 1926-1927 but was not convicted for one due to his methods of getting his gang members to do it for him. The main techniques used by capons gang was intimidating people and using bullying tactics like beating them up and killing them. This made the public dare speak out about him due to the risks of them being killed.
Rival gangs in Chicago fought each other for the right to control the liquor trade. After prohibition more gang warfare was happening due to the huge amounts of money involved if a gang was to supply illegal liquor. Capone’s gang was one of the most influential gang around earning most of Chicago’s speakeasies, police men and even the mayor The St Valentines day massacre on the 14th of February led to seven of Moran’s gang dead. Five of Capone’s gang dressed as policemen entered and disarmed the seven O’banions and then machined gun them down. All of them got away with out being caught.
The gangs before prohibition were small and dint make huge profits but after prohibition gangsters could earn up to 2billion a year. Organized crime was introduced by gangs so they could earn the right to supply the speakeasies and did anything to do this including hijacking other gangs supply and murdering them. By the end of the decade only the most powerful gangs survived. The one of the biggest problems with the prohibition was the corruption involved and the bribes were high. In 1936 to 1927 they were 130 gang murders and not one was convicted due to bribes. Once a policemen, judge or mayor was bribed gangsters could almost do what they like.
Capone had a huge impact of the image of gangsters and also introduced gang warfare. Capone was renowned for his bullet proof car and his smart suits. This led to gangs being more like a business looking to earn money from crime. Gangs were thought of people who broke the law by using guns and bribing people to make sure they didn’t get caught. Anyone who stood in Capone’s way either an honest policemen or a rival gang would be dealt with just like the St Valentines day massacre.
In conclusion I feel that the main changes which prohibition brought to the US were due to the gangs which would do anything to earn money. For example before prohibition there were gangs but they didn’t cause a big threat to crime but when prohibition was introduced it opened a door for crime including setting up business like speakeasies and bootleggers. Gangsters would carry guns to scare people and bribe people to get control, as well as shooting anyone who stood in their way like other gangs. The law was easier to avoid for gangs by simply using bribes and even paying a mayor to allow Capone to take control. All this influenced the image of gangsters making them become violent people out to make money by doing anything.
If policemen and governments were able to prevent gangs ruling states then prohibition could have been a success.
