ry being so profitable, more gangsters became involved in the moneymaking business. Criminal groups readily organized around the steady source of income provided by laws against victimless crimes such as alcohol consumption. As a result of the money involved in the bootlegging industry, there was much rival between gangs. The profit motive caused over four hundred gang related murders a year in Chicago alone (Bowen 175). Incidentally, large cities were the main location for organized gangs. Although there were over half a dozen powerful gangs in New York, Chicago was the capital of the racketeers, including Johnny Torrio, “Bugs” Moran, the Gennas, and the O’Banions (Altman 45). The most powerful and infamous bootlegger, by far, was Al Capone, operating out of Chicago. One of the most gruesome and remembered gangland murders of all time occurred on Valentine’s Day, 1929. Because of business differences, Capone ordered hit man Jack McGurn plot the murder of Bugs Moran and the O’Banion/Weiss gang, which Moran had recently taken control of. McGurn staged a delivery of alcohol to Moran’s warehouse. Four gunmen posing as police officers acted out a raid and killed seven O’Banion/Weiss members. Capone had a watertight alibi, as he was in Miami at the time, and no convictions were ever made. This event is an example of how prohibition fueled gang warfare and increased the crime rate in America (Altman 51). The prohibitionists argued that if drinking was not Curry 4allowed, then Americans would drink less. Although the consumption of alcohol fell immediately after the start of prohibition, there was a subsequent increase in less than a year. In the beginning, because manufacturing and importing alcohol were illegal, people needed to find ways to avoid being caught. Since beer had to be transported in large quantities, which became difficult, the price of beer went up, thus its popularity declined...
