The Troublesome Twenties

"The Roaring Twenties" is widely known for its economic boom, rise in consumerism, freedom for women, and an endless list sparking good times for America. Today, let's unveil the dark side of this time period: the emergence of organized crime. 

Ratified in 1919, the Eighteenth Amendment piloted the ban of manufacturing, transporting, or selling alcoholic beverages. Those in favor of this movement generally held innocent intentions to reduce the abuse of women by drunken men, limit broken relationships, and improve physical health. Consequently, people grew desperate, searching and profiting of of alcohol in almost any method possible. The gang hub of Chicago alarmingly intensified to an annual 400 gang-related deaths by the end of the 20s. 

One particular ringleader, Al "Scarface" Capone, was estimated to have obtained approximately fifty-million dollars through illicit activities. He in fact become a national celebrity through his appearance in newspapers, and even donated to charities and opened soup kitchens during the Depression to maintain his public image. Although his pioneering of the murder of over two hundred gang members, and ruthless criminal involvement says otherwise about his rather disturbing reputation. The St. Valentine's Day massacre of 1929 saw seven gang members of George "Bugs" Morgan, (a rival of Capone) lured into a garage and shot in the style of an execution. Although Capone was blamed, the culprit was never officially found and revealed. 

Crime skyrocketed in the 1920s, and most gang-related crimes were caused by immigrants, or immigrant-origin children. This further amplified the nativism movement in the United States and made the lives of foreign families more difficult. A substantial rise in criminal activities, especially murders, caused tension in Americans and fueled a loss of hope in their country. 

In 1924, J. Edgar Hoover was promoted Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Hoover turned this small, unprofessional dream into a powerful, organized force that eventually took down a large number of these wanted criminals. One incredible advancement was the fingerprint system, which arose after the fall of the measurement system, in which faces and parts were precisely measured and recorded. Funnily enough, this system was taken down due to a mix-up of two men who were most likely twins, with the names of William and Will West who looked remarkably similar. The fingerprint system allowed efficiency and accuracy, an advancement crucial in the progress of justice.