American Organized Crime in the 20 th Century

1. American Organized Crime in the 20th Century

2. Organized Crime • Definingorganized crime • Activities • Combating Organized Crime • Prohibition and Al Capone • Kefauver Hearings of 1950-1952 • McClellan Hearings of 1963 • Organized Crime Control Act of 1970 • RICO • Witness Protection Program

3. Defining Organized Crime • No official definition has been offered for two reasons • A definition may be too narrow • A definition may be too wide

4. Chief activities of organized crime • Drug trafficking • Illegal gambling • Loan sharking • Labor racketeering • Corruption of public officials

5. Combating Organized Crime • Organized crime was difficult to combat in the early 20th Century because it was not considered a national issue • Early attempts at combating organized crime failed

6. Prohibition and Al Capone • Prohibition caused the greatest growth in organized crime activity ever seen in the U.S. • Al Capone’s empire was responsible for an amazing amount of violence and corruption • Eliot Ness and the “Untouchables” • Capone’s fall and repeal of Prohibition

7. Kefauver Hearings of 1950-1952 • First major committee centered on organized crime • Had high-profile mob figures present • Helped the federal government better recognize targets • Led to McClellan Hearings

8. McClellan Hearings of 1963 • Featured Joseph Valachi, who first publicized the term “La Cosa Nostra” • Valachi described the organization of the Mafia • Led to models of organized crime as a bureaucracy being presented • Resulted in more effort from the federal government to pass legislation

9. Organized Crime Control Act of 1970 • The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act was a helpful, but confusing tool • United States v. Turkette • Witness Protection Program • Offers informer alternatives other than jail or the streets • Responsible for bringing down America’s most recent notable Mafia figure

10. Conclusion