jjares reviewed The North Side Gang: The History and Legacy of the Organized Crime Mob that Fought Al Capone for Control of Chicago on + 3292 more book reviews
This book makes a great point of showing that Prohibition brought about an explosion in crime and helped the criminals become organized. This brief history covers the development of the North Side Gang of Dean O'Banion and Bugsy Moran. I liked the phrase the author used, Chicago and the criminals of that time offered a combination of 'sophistication and savagery.' It seems as if everyone in Chicago was on the take. Even though Chicago seems large enough for lots of mobsters to make plenty of money, before long, they started fighting over turf and stolen (or bootleg) alcohol. One of the groups that grew powerful at the same time was Al Capone and his Chicago Outfit.
It was shocking to learn that the alcohol intake rate (before the time of Prohibition) was about 90 bottles of spirits (not beer) per year per person. The alcohol tax was a major prop of the US government. When Franklin D. Roosevelt got the alcohol tax back, it provided 9% of the country's budget the first year.
This is a very interesting story of the rise, growth, and decline of the mobs in Chicago. When the personalities and egos of Bugsy Moran and Al Capone grew too large, the federal government took notice and started to try to take these mobsters off the streets. The last years of each of these two men were really interesting -- and surprising.
It was shocking to learn that the alcohol intake rate (before the time of Prohibition) was about 90 bottles of spirits (not beer) per year per person. The alcohol tax was a major prop of the US government. When Franklin D. Roosevelt got the alcohol tax back, it provided 9% of the country's budget the first year.
This is a very interesting story of the rise, growth, and decline of the mobs in Chicago. When the personalities and egos of Bugsy Moran and Al Capone grew too large, the federal government took notice and started to try to take these mobsters off the streets. The last years of each of these two men were really interesting -- and surprising.
