Valentine’s Day Massacre
During 1920′s Prohibition, Chicago was embroiled in more gang-related gun violence than is found on the streets even today. One fateful Valentine’s Day in 1929 saw Al Capone‘s outfit wipe out their rival Southside Irish Gang led by Bugs Moran.
Al Capone’s men, disguised as Chicago Police officers, “arrested” members of Bugs’ outfit in what initially appeared to be a standard “shake down.” Seven men were lined up along the wall of an abandoned warehouse and summarily executed.
The gruesome brutality of the St. Valentine’s Day massacre marked the end of Capone’s days in Chicago. Citizens, outraged at the prevalence of violence and police corruption, demanded that the government take action against organized crime. While Capone would never be held accountability for any of his violent criminal activity or boos smuggling, he was ultimately indicted and convicted of income tax evasion.
See more in the story from the Chicago Tribune.
Reblogged this on The Jumpingpolarbear Blog.
My understanding of crime tells me that Al Capone’s success was enabled by the wrongheaded law prohibiting a commodity that the majority of the country wanted, alcohol to drink. Suborning its intention created opportunity for crime. It is a cautionary, repeating tale. The moral, in my opinion, is that humankind is averse to political coercion and that change is best affected by friendly persuasion, even if it takes a long time.