Organized Crime In The 19th Century

Organized crime refers to criminal activities organized by powerful group of individuals for profit gain either locally, nationally or internationally. These groups engage in illegal activities for various reasons, some for the money, fame and luxurious lifestyles while others are in it for political reasons. Some are d forced to join these groups for protection from other criminal gangs. The earliest form of organized crime was the pirate groups who stole the merchant vessels and took part in the trade of stolen goods in the 17th century. In the 19th century other forms of organized crimes such as prostitution, gambling, theft and extortion were evident on the frontier communities in American west. In the late 19th century and the early 20th
Irish neighborhoods give rise to gangs like ‘Bowery Boys’. These gangs were responsible for extorting money from the rich living within the neighborhood in order to provide them with security and protection from other gangs. These groups majorly carried out their activities in small scale before World War 1. The situation greatly changed after the 18th amendment to the US constitution was ratified banishing illegal alcohol. This ban on illegal market created a bigger illegal market for manufacturing, transporting and distribution of these illicit products. This new development stabilized relationship between criminal organizations, corrupt politicians and the police fostering a widespread corruption in numerous cities. In the 1950s, organized crime had become part and parcel of the American popular culture. The organized groups formed cartels which neither required financing nor private violence to hinder them from operating the illicit market. They were well financed and they possessed their own fearsome reputation regarding the operation of the illegal