The 1920s were an unprecedented decade for crime and criminal organizations. With the Great Depression soon to hit and many out of work already during this time period, Prohibition and the heroism that the infamous gangsters were achieving made organized crime an attractive option for those who needed the money. The government believed that fewer crimes would occur with the ban. The US government had such wrong thinking. “Alcohol was seen as the devil's advocate and banning the substance would help improve the quality of American life. It caused an explosive growth in crime with more than double the number of illegal bars and saloons operating than before Prohibition” (Nash, n.d.). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay With the Great Depression looming and all the factories and liquor plants closed, unemployment was rising. Unemployed workers, usually uneducated, needed work. Turning to organized crime was the way to earn money quickly and easily. For those who made an honest living, this was quickly taken away from them and with the lack of hiring by industries, resorting to the mafia and criminal organizations was the answer. They would be involved in tasks such as producing alcohol, distributing it to both private individuals and illegal saloons, shipping the alcohol to various cities near and far, and ultimately attempting to keep the law out of their business. Prohibition also led organized crime to expand its crimes. The production and distribution of alcohol was illegal at the time, but they had to commit further acts of criminal activity to ensure their operations continued. They began bribing police officers and other high-ranking officials with money to keep their illegal operations running. Those who did not accept the bribes offered by organized crime were groomed, usually murdered so that someone else would take control and be bribed. The mob used violence to instill fear in those who were trying to disrupt their operations. For the most part it worked. So many high-ranking officers and officials would accept bribes and look the other way so they could save their lives. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay It took some time for the US government to finally reinstate the sale and distribution of alcohol, which ended up solving many of the problems. Even though the government had allowed establishments to sell alcohol legally again, that aspect of organized crime was over but the damage of Prohibition had already been done. Organized crime had arisen throughout the United States due to Prohibition. Although they were no longer in the business of illegally distributing alcohol, they would begin distributing other illegal items as well as carrying out assassinations of high-ranking officials who continued to pursue the Mafia throughout the United States. Many mafias got into the distribution of illegal drugs and this can still be seen today with various gangs profiting from the sale of illegal drugs..