Chicago’s gangster history has fascinated world historians and city visitors alike since the 1920s. The trauma of the Chicago mob during the legendary decade of Prohibition has been immortalized in a variety of films. from Hollywood, thrillingly depicted in Brian de Palma’s ‘The Untouchables’ and loudly parodied in Billy Wilder’s ‘Some Like It Hot’. But what is it about this decade in Chicago history that never fails to capture the national imagination?
For many, gang member Lord Al Capone is a big part of the appeal. During the prohibition years of the 1920s, when alcohol consumption was outlawed in the United States, Capone effectively ran Chicago as his own city and became the most notorious American criminal of the 20th century. Over the course of the decade, Capone ran his empire from the Lexington Hotel at 22nd and Michigan avenues in Chicago and profited from the extensive smuggling ring that pervaded the city. The illicit trade in alcohol and the large number of speakeasies (establishments used for the sale and covert consumption of alcohol) that sprung up in the city played a huge role in the success of Al Capone’s nefarious gangs.
Additionally, the iconic St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929, now seen as one of Chicago’s most defining moments of the 1920s, has also taken root in the American psyche. This famous incident in Chicago history saw the shooting of seven people, six of whom were gangsters, at the climax of a major rivalry between the city’s two main gangs: Al Capone’s South Side gang and the cronies of the North side of Bugs Moran.
Ultimately, Al Capone’s arrest in 1931 for tax evasion led to his downfall, and this is seen by many as an ironic – and somewhat disheartening – end to this infamous gang leader. Essentially, the pervasive element of Chicago gang warfare during the prohibition years is what makes it so appealing to history buffs: the astonishing fact that one man could have had such complete criminal control over a city. and yet to be struck down for such a worldly offense.
Of course, the eventual repeal of the prohibition law in 1933 was seen by many as a sign that the first great domestic experiment of the 20th century had failed; a factor that further pushed Al Capone and his smuggling gangs to legendary status. Today, many visitors to Chicago are eager to examine the city’s mob past and find out where the old speakeasies were located, and this is relatively easy to do. Just find a hotel in Chicago to use as your base and explore the former site of the Lexington Hotel, along with a variety of Capone’s infamous locales. And while this may seem like a somewhat ghoulish holiday theme, it will nonetheless provide a thrill for anyone who finds a bit of gory American history entertaining.