Foundation for Economic Education | The Government Made Tony Soprano #shorts @FEEonline | Uploaded August 2022 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
Organized crime in the US got its big break from a surprising source… big, ineffective government.
The Eighteenth Amendment, passed in 1919, legally prohibited the production and sale of alcohol in the U.S. In reality, mobsters like Al Capone stepped in, supplying alcohol to a thirsty public.
But it wasn’t just booze. Strict banking laws and a prohibition on gambling gave the mob control over the casino business.
It’s no surprise that the result of these prohibitions led to black markets, violence, and the mob’s deep ties to politics. The government can’t legislate vices out of existence. It can only drive them into the hands of criminals.
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CREDITS:
Executive Produced by Sean W. Malone
Written by Mike Viola
Narrated by Matt Tabor
Produced and Edited by Paul Nelson & Pavel Rusakov
Organized crime in the US got its big break from a surprising source… big, ineffective government.
The Eighteenth Amendment, passed in 1919, legally prohibited the production and sale of alcohol in the U.S. In reality, mobsters like Al Capone stepped in, supplying alcohol to a thirsty public.
But it wasn’t just booze. Strict banking laws and a prohibition on gambling gave the mob control over the casino business.
It’s no surprise that the result of these prohibitions led to black markets, violence, and the mob’s deep ties to politics. The government can’t legislate vices out of existence. It can only drive them into the hands of criminals.
——————————
CREDITS:
Executive Produced by Sean W. Malone
Written by Mike Viola
Narrated by Matt Tabor
Produced and Edited by Paul Nelson & Pavel Rusakov
