Organized Crime

I.

II.

III.

IV.

Criminal Networks
A.
Before Prohibition
B.
Growth
C.
Beer Wars
D.
The Syndicate
The Idea of Organized Crime
A.
Progressive Political Economy
B.
Ethnic Stereotypes
C.
Functionalist Social Science
Gang Busters
A.
Early Ambivalence
B.
The Corruption Crisis
C.
Calls for reform
Redefining the Problem
A.
The Great Depression
B.
Shifting Priorities

The Old
Regime
Retail

Saloons, nightclubs,
& brothels

Ethic Origins

IrishClan 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

Growt
h
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. Valentines 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

 Focus

Functionalist Social
Science

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
McSwiggi
n
assassinat
ion

Confronting
Lawlessness
Mayor Walker before
the Seabury
committee

Chicago reform
mayor, William E.
Dever
Frank Loesch (right),
president of the Chicago
Crime Commission

Federal Criminal
Justice
Wickersham
Commission

FBI director, J. Edgar

Hoover

The Great Depression

GNP falls
29% between
1929 and
1933
Unemployme
nt jumped
from 3.2 to
25.2%
between
1929 and
1933

New Priorities
New Deal
18th
Amendment
repealed,
December 5th
1933
Congress
passes AntiRacketeering
Law, May 1934

Fauerbach Brewery Bar,

Madison Wisconsin