Al Capone's Beer Wars

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This exhaustively researched account offers a comprehensive history of organized crime in Chicago during Prohibition, covering the years 1920 to 1933. Author John J. Binder, an authority on the subject, delves into the significant bootlegging gangs in the city and suburbs, while also exploring other major rackets such as prostitution, gambling, labor and business racketeering, and narcotics. A key focus is the rise of the Capone gang, which started as one of twelve major bootlegging mobs and ultimately gained a near-monopoly over organized crime in northern Illinois and beyond. Binder also highlights the efforts of federal and local authorities, along with citizens' groups, to combat organized crime. Throughout the narrative, he dispels numerous myths and misconceptions surrounding the Capone gang, other criminal organizations, the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, and gangland killings. This broad perspective reveals the evolution of Chicago's underworld during this tumultuous period, extending beyond Capone and specific violent acts to shed light on the broader context of organized crime in Chicagoland, even after Capone's imprisonment. Drawing on 25 years of research and previously unexplored sources, this work stands as the definitive account of a bloody and colorful era in Chicago's history.