Yuri Croft
Seoul International School
Abstract
This essay explores how the Prohibition era served as a catalyst for the rise and institutionalization of organized crime in the United States. What began as small, local criminal activity rapidly evolved into large-scale, structured operations as the nationwide ban on alcohol created a massive underground market. Figures like Al Capone capitalized on this demand, building powerful empires through bootlegging, bribery, and violence. The paper also examines how social and economic pressures, including poverty, discrimination, and lack of opportunity among immigrant communities, fueled the growth of these networks. Drawing on sociological theories such as social differentiation and subcultural learning, it explains how criminal behavior became normalized in certain environments. Even after the repeal of Prohibition, these organizations adapted, expanding into gambling, narcotics, and racketeering, and leaving a lasting influence on American institutions and public life.
