Work day for our assigned blogs due tomorrow before class.
focus on capone, how gangs worked, why they came about. drinking, gambling, prostitution. tax evasion.
Notes:
Capone had a leading role in the illegal activities that lent Chicago its reputation as a lawless city.
capone grew up in a rough neighborhood and was a part of 2 child gangs when he was younger. quit school in 6th grade.
He became part of the notorious Five Points gang in Manhattan and worked in gangster Frankie Yale's Brooklyn dive, the Harvard Inn, as a bouncer and bartender
his first arrest was for disorderly conduct. murdered two men in new york but since no one said anything he was never tried for the murders. arrived in chicago in 1919. in chiago he helped torrio- yale's friend- with his bootlegging business.
when torrio was shot by a rival gang member Capone took over.
Capone controlled speakeasies, bookie joints, gambling houses, brothels, horse and race tracks, nightclubs, distilleries and breweries at a reported income of $100,000,000 a year
known for his violent temper and for his strong sense of loyalty and honor. He
was the first to open soup kitchens after the 1929 stock market crash and he
ordered merchants to give clothes and food to the needy at his expense.
people attempted to kill him many times but no one was successful.
Because of gangland's traditional refusal to prosecute, Capone was never tried
for most of his crimes. He was arrested in 1926 for killing three people, but
spent only one night in jail because there was insufficient evidence to connect
him with the murders
The popular belief in the 1920s and 30s was that illegal gambling earnings were
not taxable income. However, the 1927 Sullivan ruling claimed that illegal
profits were in fact taxable. The government wanted to indict Capone for income
tax evasion, Capone never filed an income tax return, owned nothing in his own
name, and never made a declaration of assets or income. He did all his business
through front men so that he was anonymous when it came to income.
In 1931, Capone was indicted for income tax evasion for the years 1925-29. He
was also charged with the misdemeanor of failing to file tax returns for the
years 1928 and 1929. The government charged that Capone owed $215,080.48 in
taxes from his gambling profits.
The jury found Capone not guilty on eighteen of the twenty-three counts. Judge
Wilkerson sentenced him to a total of ten years in federal prison and one year
in the county jail.
After his release, Capone spent a short time in the hospital. He returned to his
home in Palm Island where the rest of his life was relaxed and quiet.
Many gangs sold alcohol illegally for tremendous profit, and used acute violence to stake turf and protect their interest. Often, police officers and politicians were paid off or extorted to ensure continued operation.
http://www.geni.com/projects/American-Gangsters-of-the-1920s-and-1930s/3525
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