Politics, Police and Crime in New York During Prohibition: Gotham and the Age of Recklessness, 1920-1933

The Prohibition Era in New York City led to the evolution of the New York mob from a rural, ethnic, and small-scale to an urban, American, and wide-scale crime. The Italian, Irish, and Jewish mobs took advantage crime to local politics due to the lucrative alcohol bootlegging, and New York became the core of the national anti-prohibition. The Republican Party was aware of the failure of this political measure, leading to the making of a new corporate underworld. The book is addressed to historians of New York, crime, and modern America, as well as to readers interested in the history of the Prohibition Era.

Format: Hardback
Length: 406 pages
Publication date: 22 July 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The Prohibition Era in New York City marked a significant transformation in the nature of the local mob, evolving from a rural, ethnically diverse, and small-scale organization to an urban, American, and widely-spread criminal enterprise. This shift was driven by the temperance project, advocated by the WASP elite since the early nineteenth century, which eventually led to the enactment of the Eighteenth Amendment after World War I. The success of war prohibition in improving the psychophysical condition of soldiers led Congress to extend this political movement to civil society. As a result, the Italian, Irish, and Jewish mobs took advantage of the lucrative alcohol bootlegging business and expanded their bribe system into local politics. New York City became the epicenter of the national anti-prohibition movement, where smuggling from Canada and Europe converged with the legendary Manhattan nightclubs and speakeasies.

However, the onset of the Great Depression brought about a realization of the failure of this political measure, leading to the emergence of a new corporate underworld. The book is intended for historians specializing in New York City history, crime history, and modern American history, as well as for readers with an interest in the history of the Prohibition Era. It provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of this period and its impact on the city and its society.

Weight: 950g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032207407