Why Did Al Capone Target Organized Crime?

When talking about the history of prohibition and Mobs the most famous name to come up will usually be Al Capone, yet he was not the only big name in the bootlegging business and there war many gangs all vying for control of this illicit business. To name a few, there was Dion O’Banion who controlled Chicago’s Near North side, Klondike O’Donnell and his brothers who commanded the Northwest side, the “Terrible Genna brothers” who controlled the Near West Side, and Irish O’Donnell brother on the Southwest side (Lombardo 81). These gangs and others not listed were all grabbing for power in a seemingly cold war against each other. Gang violence would later become increasingly common and violent once these gangs became more established and hungry
Target business for the mob were usually gambling establishment, although they were not limited to such business and had a presence in many businesses. Capone’s syndicate even conducted takeovers of rival gangs business. This was made possible through the massive cash pulled in through bootlegging that would then be used for political protection of his newly acquired business. (Hales and Kazmer 1) Racketeering would remain a common practice in organized crime and eventually lead to legislation that particularly targeted organized crime. The most important act to target organized crime, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) act, would not be conceived until 50 years later (Schlmalleger
This theory was developed with the Chicago school of criminology during the 1920’s and 1930’s (Schlmalleger 156). It also states that conflicts will occur when a groups, such as Italian immigrant families, is faced with social change, uneven development and lack of consensus. When faced with the challenge of this new world, these families saw fit to acquire wealth in a way familiar to them. The mafia was a type of group that individuals would identify themselves with and they created their own set of norms. In cultural deviance theory, these norms are never violated (Lombardo 16). While the mob saw the actions as acceptable or normal, outsiders saw their actions as social deviance and this is where conflict occurs. These Criminals were well-socialized members of the groups they identified with (Lombardo 16). The common people behave in accordance with the group or in this case, country that they live in. They have the power to incorporate their values into the law and if these rules are in conflict with that of these Italian mob groups, then crime will occur (Lombardo 16). With the opportunity that presented its self at the beginning of prohibition, these families took advantage of the wants of Chicago in order to gain power and