Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Drinking under prohibition did not stop, it simply went underground. In New York City alone there were thousands of speakeasy clubs. The mob made millions in illegal sales of alcohol on the black market. Most Americans simply ignored the law. The agents who enforced prohibition laws were poorly paid and were easily bribed. Gangsters made money and became powerful under prohibition. They even cooperated with one another in setting prices. Organized crime gained a national foothold due to prohibition.  One of the better known gangsters was Al Capone. When Capone arrived in Chicago in 1920 he immediately saw the opportunities that prohibition offered. He organized illegal bootlegging on an international scale. He even controlled the distribution of his alcohol. He hired his own delivery trucks, salespeople, and his own heavily armed guards to protect his investments. Capone was making over $100 million a year. He had no trouble bribing all the politicians and law enforcement members in his district.