Organized Crime I.Criminal Networks A.Before Prohibition B.Growth C.Beer Wars D.The “Syndicate”...
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Transcript of Organized Crime I.Criminal Networks A.Before Prohibition B.Growth C.Beer Wars D.The “Syndicate”...
Organized CrimeI. Criminal Networks
A. Before ProhibitionB. GrowthC. Beer WarsD. The “Syndicate”
II. The Idea of “Organized Crime”A. Progressive Political EconomyB. Ethnic StereotypesC. Functionalist Social Science
III. Gang BustersA. Early AmbivalenceB. The Corruption CrisisC. Calls for reform
IV. Redefining the ProblemA. The Great DepressionB. Shifting Priorities
The Old Regime
• Retail– Saloons, nightclubs,
& brothels • Ethic Origins
– Irish—Clan Na Gael– Jews– Prostitution,
gambling, liquor, fencing, & smuggling
– Italians– Mano Negro• Non-lethal violence
– Slugging, bombing• Political control
– Politicians in “vice wards” own joints
“Big Jim” Colosimo and his saloon
Growth
• New attitude– Individualism– Consumerism– Hedonism
• Technology– Racing wire
• Prohibition
Beer Wars
• Illegal alcohol is $2B industry
• Urban gangs fight to control the market
“The Syndicate”
• Capone• St. Valentine’s Day
massacre, 1929
Progressive Political Economy
• Political metaphor– Conspiracies– Machines– Trusts– Rings
• Class metaphor– Mob– Gang
Stereotypes• Castellammarese War
(1930-1)– Sicilian Immigrants
• “Moustache Petes” – Neapolitan-Americans
• “Lucky” Luciano– Jewish Americans
• Meyer Lansky
• Organized crime is as AMERICAN institution
Don Vito Cascio Ferro
Functionalist Social Science
• Focus– Culture– Environment– Law
• See crime as “functional” response to defect in law, injustice, or inequality
• View crime as a form of social organization– Landesco
Urban Ballyhoo
• Clownishly corrupt mayors– Chicago
• William “Big Bill” Thompson– NYC
• Jimmy “Beau James” Walker– Boston
• James “The Rascal King” Curley
Political Crisis
• McSwiggin assassination
Confronting Lawlessness
Mayor Walker before the Seabury committee
Frank Loesch (right), president of the Chicago
Crime Commission
Chicago reform mayor, William E.
Dever
Federal Criminal Justice
• Wickersham Commission
FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover
The Great Depression
• GNP falls 29% between 1929 and 1933
• Unemployment jumped from 3.2 to 25.2% between 1929 and 1933
New Priorities
• New Deal
• 18th Amendment repealed, December 5th 1933
• Congress passes Anti-Racketeering Law, May 1934
Fauerbach Brewery Bar, Madison Wisconsin