Posted on 06/21/2011 4:02:59 PM PDT by AustralianConservative
Glad somebody got the joke. Thought of recommending a nice tall glass of Bourbon and branch water to our friend, but decided it was a “stupid” suggestion. Might cause dehydration.
Sales covers transport of course. But, yes, you could make it at home and some beverages like low-alcohol wines were also allowed.
Nice try. Using the poor as cover and exploiting them makes him more of an animal – but I’d quit defending this rogue before you dig yourself any deeper.
Yeah, and Hitler liked dogs, does that make him a good guy too? Mobsters (even today) don’t protect their neighborhoods and do good deeds out of altruism. They do/did it because it benefits them in ways that make up for the loss of the petty cash.
Don’t even get me started on home brewing. As a true beer knurd, I’ve never understood the arrogance that some have when they think they can brew in their garage what it took real masters lifetimes to perfect.
I’m not defending him.
Just pointing out the intellectual dishonesty in your argument, and the complete ignorance of a colorful era of American history.
BTW, you still haven’t answered my direct question.
What blood did The Big Fella have on his hands before prohibition? Other than the one possible but unsubstantiated instance I mentioned, of course.
Why can’t you post the whole article here?
There’s a 300 word-limit. Most people click on a link. I do it all the time though.
No there isn't. The excerpt box is there for sites on the "Must Excerpt" list; sites that have threatened legal action, not for when you are posting your own stuff.
Most people click on a link.
No they won't as too many don't want to take the chance clicking on a crappy, virus and tracking software laden MySpace page.
I do it all the time though.
So?
It is clear that you are a blog pimp trying to drive traffic from FR to your site and this action is frowned on here at FR. If you really want exposure post your entire article and if is is any good some FReepers will voluntarily visit your site. Trying to force traffic by needlessly excerpting is for crap.
I'm not aware of anyone who studies Italian-American crime in the 1800s and early 1900s who will disagree with your point. Helping poor people was a major part of what the Mob did.
Some important qualifications, however:
1. In the era before government-run social services, that was a standard part of the work of political organizations of any type, and the Mob was doing the same things as all the rest of the groups competing for votes. It was very important for the Mob to be able to influence politicians by being able to deliver lots of votes, and this is one way they did it.
2. While the protection rackets often **WERE* rackets, the fact is that Mob-controlled neighborhoods were often safer — if only for their Italian residents — than they would have been without the Mob. Police forces in those days were often very far from the academy-trained professionals that we have today, and since the police forces of many cities were disproportionately Irish, ethnic bigotry was not unheard of among the police or the judges. If Mama Angelina's store got broken into, the Mob was much more likely to track down and punish the hoodlums who did it than the police force, and that helped endear Capone to legitimate business owners who believed — often with good reason — that the municipal government didn't care about Italian neighborhoods.
3. By accepting what everybody knew were ill-gotten gains, the Mob bought the silence of the recipients of its aid. When Robin Hood robbed the rich and rewarded the poor, he involved them in crime. By giving help to lots of people in his neighborhood, Capone and other mobsters created large numbers of people who had a stake in defending the criminals because they'd become criminals themselves.
The mere fact that somebody helps poor people doesn't necessarily say anything about their motives. Islamic extremists routinely open social service agencies and hospitals. So do Christian missionaries in poor nations. So does the United States Army in trying to “win hearts and minds.”
Yes, Capone did many things to help people. That's beyond dispute. The question is **WHY** he did those things, and the answer is anything but good.
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