Eliot Ness Suffered Several Assassina- Tion Attempts, but Nothing Could Deter the Man Him from His Campaign for Justice
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Not for Murder, Not for Racketeering, “They can't collect legal taxes from But for… Tax Evasion! illegal money.” – Alphonse Capone Eliot Ness suffered several assassina- tion attempts, but nothing could deter The Man him from his campaign for justice. Read how this brave man ignored death threats and promises of wealth in his Who Brought crusade to bring down the organized Al Capone crime gangs that controlled Chicago. Down Shimon Rosenberg 54 | ZMAN • July 2012 ZMAN • Tamuz 5772 | 55 After one year from the ratification of enriched with new terms such as speakeasy, incredible period, few knew what happened this article the manufacture, sale, or moonshine and bootlegger. Nevertheless, to Ness after Capone’s capture. In fact, transportation of intoxicating liquors the average consumption of alcohol by the Ness had not retreated into a quiet, well- within, the importation thereof into, typical law abiding citizen dropped nearly or the exportation thereof from the two-thirds during Prohibition. The majority United States and all territory subject of Americans respected the law and stood America’sdeserved retirement.worst criminals He continued feared his his name. fight to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage behind it. Although a new class of crimes against the Mafia for several more decades. purposes is hereby prohibited. was created by the 18th Amendment and the and one of the most gruesome murderers in – 18th Amendment to the US Constitution Volstead Act that Congress passed to enforce theHe foughthistory the of America,mob, corrupt “the madpolice butcher officers of it, there is no evidence of a rush of violent Kingsbury Run.” rom 1920 to 1933, the production, crimes during Prohibition. Not content to do his job from behind a sale and import of intoxicating bever- What did happen, though, was that desk, Ness put his life on the line time and Fages for consumption purposes were Prohibition created a climate in which those again to bring the most corrupt and violent illegal under Constitutional law. This period, who dared break the law could earn a hand- men to justice. Given his reputation as a known as the Prohibition Era, became infa- mous—though largely unfairly so—as a time it could now fetch a hefty price from the up on the streets. However, it was just the when law enforcement was weakened by the manysome profit.drunkards Because and alcohol alcoholics became who illegal, were opposite.fighter, one might think that he himself grew impossibility of enforcing an unpopular law. not about to give up drinking. In cities where Ness was born on April 19, 1903, in Federal Prohibition agents and Chicago police There are numerous reasons why the mob reigned supreme, gambling and Chicago, Illinois, to a couple who had in an illegal cellar brewery they discovered. Prohibition in the United States gained other illegal industries were monopolized emigrated from Norway. They worked hard momentum and popularity. Genuine concern to make the American dream a reality, and Two years later, Ness had completed that alcohol increased immoral behavior for themselves. It was only natural that the Eliot was blessed with a privileged child- studying criminology and was accepted productionby gang lords and who distribution sought to ofkeep alcohol the profits would hood. Their wholesale bakery, painstakingly as an agent of the Treasury Department’s agendas not necessarily in the public’s best built up from humble beginnings, supported Chicago branch. On the recommendation of interest,and fueled including crime conflated anti-immigrant, with political anti- It is under these circumstances that the family extremely generously. his brother-in-law, Ness was transferred to Catholic and anti-Semitic sentiments. (See gangsterfollow and Alphonse become the “Scarface realm of theAl” Mafia.Capone As the youngest of the Ness children, the Prohibition Bureau. Zman #2, Nissan 5770/March 2010, for more rose to power in the Prohibition era. Brook- Eliot was showered with parental attention. At the time, the Chicago Prohibition on this topic and on how the religious Jewish lyn born, he apprenticed under the previous He was very well behaved, always strove Bureau employed 300 agents whose job was community dealt with Prohibition.) Drink- lead gangster of Chicago, John “Papa Johnny” to develop into an upstanding citizen, was to disrupt the vibrant black market for alco- ing was increasingly characterized as an Torrio, until Torrio’s retirement in 1925. a very good student and an avid reader. He holic beverages in the city. Like other law absolute evil that a respectable—especially (Yes, gangsters do occasionally live to see preferred reading to playing with other enforcement agencies in Chicago, however, religious—person should avoid entirely. The retirement.) At that point, Capone took the children. the Prohibition Bureau was widely known turmoil brought on by World War I increased helm, and in the following years he consoli- Ness looked up to his older brother-in- to be corrupt all the way to the top. Once the public’s interest in removing what was dated his power by methodically eliminating law, Alexander Jamie, who worked as an again Ness’ family deeply disapproved of his deemed a harmful vice from society. By the his competitors. agent for the Justice Department. It was chosen vocation. time the 18th Capone’s success led to the emergence natural, then, that he dreamed throughout January 16, 1919, it was strongly supported of a legend: a federal agent with unshakable his childhood of becoming someone who by a vast majority Amendment of the population. was ratified on dedication and incredible courage; a man The Cat Guards the Milk… It wasn’t until the late 1920s that public who headed an equally legendary group of In college, he continued his habit of Already by the end of 1928, Al Capone opinion began to shift. The impossible time heroic federal agents called “Untouchables.” passingwould fight up crime.other typical student activities was one of the most notorious criminals in - That man was Eliot Ness. to devote himself to reading. After graduat- American history. From the mayor on down, ing Prohibition was only one of the reasons. ing in 1925—the same year that Al Capone all Chicago feared him and followed his Societythat law had enforcement changed andofficials people had seemed in enforc no succeeded Torrio as head of his Chicago longer as concerned about the dangers of Eliot Ness criminal gang—Ness decided to become a police. He was in effect the ruler of Chicago. alcohol. When Ness published his story about the private investigator. His family had expected orders, even the government officials and It is undeniably true that a new class of him to pursue a career or enter business that in that year’s election Frank Loesch, crime was created by Prohibition. In addi- 1957 book The Untouchables, it became an and was very unhappy with his decision. At directorCapone’s of the influence Chicago was Crime so all-pervasiveCommission, tion, the American lexicon has been forever instantyears he sensation.fought Capone Although and the millions Mafia innow his night, Ness continued his studies of criminal had to beg for Capone’s assistance to help knew the fascinating details about this science at Chicago University. 56 | ZMAN • July 2012 ZMAN • Tamuz 5772 | 57.