Al Capone perfectly illustrates why Prohibition failed:
- Earned $60 million per year — mostly from illegal alcohol. Prohibition made him rich.
- Controlled Chicago — police, politicians, and judges were on his payroll. He was effectively above the law.
- St Valentine's Day Massacre (1929) — Capone's gang murdered 7 rival gang members with machine guns. Shocked the nation.
- Popular with some public — He opened soup kitchens during Depression. Some saw him as a Robin Hood figure.
- Never convicted of violence — Finally jailed in 1931 for TAX EVASION, not murder. Shows how corrupted the justice system was.
Why this quote matters: Capone understood that Prohibition created his business. Without the ban, there would be no illegal profits. He was RIGHT — he was supplying demand that the law couldn't eliminate.
This significance covers ⭐ Case Study: Al Capone — The Face of Prohibition's Failure within Prohibition for GCSE History. Revise Prohibition in America 1920-1973 for GCSE History with 12 exam-style questions and 17 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 6 of 16 in this topic. Use this significance to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Prohibition
Which Amendment to the US Constitution introduced Prohibition in January 1920?
How much money did gangster Al Capone earn per year at the height of his Prohibition-era bootlegging operation?