February 15: Al Capone’s Beer Wars – Wiseguy Speaker Series, part of The Mob Museum 6th Anniversary Events
They called it The Beer Wars. It was Chicago, during Prohibition. Well-meaning citizen’s groups had lobbied for law enforcement to escalate the fight against what they saw as Mob-driven rampant wickedness. But that fight led to even greater social and criminal offenses.
The real story’s all there in Chicago Mob historian John Binder’s most recent book, Al Capone’s Beer Wars: A Complete History of Organized Crime in Chicago During Prohibition.
The Al Capone’s Beer Wars discussion with John Binder brings you:
- Chicago’s Prohibition-era gangs and gang wars
- Bootlegging in Chicago and beyond
- Prostitution, gambling, racketeering, and narcotics during Prohibition
- The fight against organized crime
- Myths about organized crime during the 1920s
This Mob Museum 6th Anniversary Wiseguy Speaker Series event will focus on Al Capone’s gang – one of 12 major Mobs in Chicago at the start of Prohibition. Binder tells how bootlegging, prostitution, narcotics, gambling, and labor and business racketeering, all exploded during Prohibition.
You’ll hear how Capone almost single-handedly ran organized crime in northern Illinois and beyond. Binder will also describe how federal and local authorities, as well as active citizens’ groups, fought tooth and nail against organized crime. He’ll also put myths and misconceptions to rest about Capone’s gang and other criminal groups, and you’ll hear the true story of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.
Be here in the courtroom on Thursday February 15, from 7 to 9 p.m. as Binder brings all the bootleggers’ territorial gang wars to life. This talk is based on 25 years of research and really gets at the big picture of how Chicago’s underworld evolved during this crucial period in Mob history.
Discussion will be followed by a book signing.