CRIME
Prior to the enactment of the Eighteenth Amendment and Volstead act, the legislation which banned alcohol to save grain and defined intoxication, crime was still present in America. There were still thefts, murders, and other incidents. But crime didn't pay in the way that it would in the coming years. The crimes were, as a whole, petty. Though there are cases which demonstrate the attempts of criminals to make a business out of the illegality of specific activities, such as gambling and prostitution. But none of them would come to be as profitable as the production and sale of alcohol, as indicated by the graph below.
Crime had been on a steady increase. We can probably attribute this to the aforementioned attempts at the exploitation of illegal activities for profit. However, if we look at the years of prohibition, we see an unprecedented spike in crime. Which is the result of the prohibition laws.
The production and sale of alcohol would provide criminals with a steady stream of profit for a decade. Profits which require management. However, management requires some form of organization. So, crime needed to become organized. The tools were there, now someone had to put it together.
The production and sale of alcohol would provide criminals with a steady stream of profit for a decade. Profits which require management. However, management requires some form of organization. So, crime needed to become organized. The tools were there, now someone had to put it together.