Reshaping the Underworld of America: How Atlantic City Fostered the Future of Organized Crime 1918-1941
Abstract:
American Prohibition changed the lives of many Americans during the thirteen years of its existence. Impoverished immigrants and Americans faced a challenge that had never been encountered in the country’s history. Millionaires were created out of indigents and the integration of multiple ethnicities was forged in lieu of the prospect of merging bootlegging efforts. My comp illustrates the interconnectedness of gangsters in various urban cities who defied prevalent ethnic tensions prior to Prohibition. I exemplify Atlantic City’s importance to the sale of illegal liquor and its connection to the underworld of New York and Chicago. In a relatively brief period of time, Atlantic City emerged from isolation and pacified tensions between rival syndicates, re-establishing the network of criminals that dominated America’s fervid urban streets. The crime boss of Atlantic City, Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, provided the optimal location for a group of delinquents to meet and ruminate over the possibilities of enterprising on illegal activity. Through the rise and fall of Atlantic City, and Prohibition gangsters alike, this project demonstrates the transformation of organized crime during American Prohibition.