The
Excesses of Prohibition ChicagoEdward G. Robinson uttered this, along with other lines of memorable dialogue during his noted performance as Caesar Bandello in the 1931 film “Little Caesar”, a movie inspired by the life and time of the infamous Chicago crime lord Alphonse “Al” Capone (Cullers and Wolpert). Capone and his extensive network of criminal underlings ruled over Prohibition-era Chicago with a seemingly inexorable power and have been a source of endless fascination for individuals worldwide, both during the course of Capone’s tumultuous life and in the decades following his ironic demise.
Despite
the romanticism imparted to Capone’s activities by some writers and filmmakers,
an historical examination of the man and his organization, the so-called Chicago
“Outfit”, reveals a picture that is entirely devoid of any noble, good-hearted
outlawry (Blakely). During the fourteen years spanning the passing and repealing
of the Eighteenth Amendment the Outfit managed an array of elicit gambling
operations and houses of prostitution, while steering the political outcomes of
Chicago through bribes and intimidation (Blakely; Landesco 18). Yet, the
organization’s primary source of income was that which Prohibition had outlawed:
liquor (Allsop 24). Contention between criminals over who would dominate the
city’s alcohol trade, a conflict often referred to as the “Beer Wars” at the
time of their occurrence, resulted in 703 gang related murders during the
Prohibition years (Landesco 23; Allsop 16). So powerful was the stranglehold
that organized crime had on city that some scholars have argued that Chicago was
virtually reduced to a state of medieval feudalism (Allsop 14). The 1928
gangland-style murder of assistant state’s attorney William McSwiggin is
demonstrative of the power the criminal element wielded: no less that six grand
juries were convened to probe the homicide, but not one returned an indictment (Landesco
23). McSwiggin’s death served only to shine a spotlight on the entanglement
between the underworld and Chicago’s civic leadership (Landesco 23). It was only
in the wake of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre that Al Capone was finally
branded a “public enemy” by Chicago authorities (Kobler 267). The killings,
orchestrated by Capone to eliminate the gang leader’s North Side rivals,
resulted in the brutal deaths of seven men, most of them gangsters (Kobler 245).
Public reaction to the bloodshed led to a record reward being offered for the
murderers (Kobler 247).
Based
on the mobsters’ willingness and ability to use violence, it would be easy to
dismiss Chicago’s Prohibition-era citizenry as the simple victims of a reign of
criminal terror. But a closer look makes such a conclusion difficult to concede.
Vice had been a long-standing tradition in Chicago prior to Al Capone’s rise to
power. Recognizable forms of organized crime had existed very early in the
city’s history (Ruth). In its young days, Chicago offered more gambling per
capita than neighboring Philadelphia or New York City (Ruth). By 1857 a district
heavily comprised of brothel and other business of poor repute was in full swing
(Allsop 24). In the late 1800’s, author W.T. Stead revealed that many
well-regarded property owners in Chicago were profiting from businesses they
owned in the infamous red-light district (Allsop 24). Alderman Robert Merriam
provided the following cynical assessment of the city’s character: “Chicago is
unique. It is the only completely corrupt city in America.” (Allsop 13)
With
the onset of Prohibition, the elements of organized crime in Chicago were
presented with an unprecedented opportunity for profit. (Allsop 24) And in
response to the gangs’ illegal supply of alcohol, the city offered a voracious
demand. By 1930, it was estimated that Chicago played host to ten thousand
illegal saloons, termed “speakeasies” and that gangs like the Chicago Outfit
enjoyed weekly profits of 3.5 million dollars from the sale of liquor (Allsop
32). Alcohol related problems saw a sharp rise in Chicago during the years of
the Eighteenth Amendment. In 1927, the city saw a 427% rise in drunk driving and
a 600% spike in the number of death associated with alcoholism (Allsop 36).
Clearly, Chicagoans provided the market which criminal enterprises like Capone’s
needed to thrive. The city’s thirst for vice and contraband was the lifeblood of
the gangsters’ operations. Writing in the introduction to John Landesco’s
landmark 1929 study, “Organized Crime in Chicago”, Andrew Bruce opined, “The
measure of crime in Chicago is the measure of its social selfishness, of its
public indifference, and its public corruption.” (2) Bruce goes on to state, “If
the measure of crime in Chicago is the measure of it corruption, the salvation
of Chicago will be in its fundamental integrity.” (Landesco 2)
The
days of Chicago’s visible excesses and the fearless criminal empires that
attracted the attention of the world have closed, never to be lived in the same
fashion again. But some of the grave lessons of those violent days continue to
demand attention decades hence. Without the permissiveness of Chicago’s
citizens, manifested in the millions that lined Capone’s coffers, the dark rule
of organized crime would have never overtaken the city. The people of Chicago,
by their actions, allowed such control to become reality. Although some of the
judgments we face today may not be as readily linked to such visible evil, we
nonetheless hold a similar power as that ascribed to Chicago’s Prohibition-era
residents. When we decry the state of morality within our country and are
disturbed by the commonplace disrespect for authority, acceptance of destructive
lifestyles, and breakdown of the family institution, it may profit us to examine
closely the immorality that we have lent our support to, through either
agreement or silence. If we would oppose the fall of traditional values in our
midst, we would best start by withdrawing our support from the kind of
entertainment and leadership that opposes what we claim to espouse. If we
earnestly wish to see change, beginning with our personal sphere of influence, a
halt to such approval, spoken or unspoken, is the starting point. Like Chicago,
we possess the potential for positive change. The foundation rests in our
willingness to act on our convictions.
Bibliography
Allsop, Kenneth. The Bootleggers: The Story of Chicago’s Prohibition Era. New Rochelle: Arlington House, 1968.
Blakely, G. Robert. “Mafia.” Encyclopedia of Chicago. 22 Jan. 2007
Cullers, Rebecca and Jessica Wolpert.
“Little Caesar.” Crime Pays: The
Hollywood
Gangster from 1930 to 1938. 2 Feb. 2007.
Kobler, John. Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1971.
Landesco,
John. Organized Crime in Chicago. Chicago: The University of Chicago
Press, 1968.
Ruth, David E. "Crime and Chicago’s Image." Encyclopedia of Chicago. 21 Jan. 2007
Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record: Chicago River Bascule Bridge, Wabash Avenue, Spanning Chicago River at North Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Cook County, IL - From the Library of Congress features some survey photos of the Chicago River Bascule Bridge that were taken as part of a survey project, and are from the thirties.
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