St. Valentines Day Massacre :: American History

The 1920s was a decade marked with lawlessness. There was plenty of money to be made, and after the National Prohibition Act, everyone wanted a piece of the action. Two gangs went head to head for control of the lucrative illegal alcohol business. One group was led by George Bugs Moran, and the other, by Al Scarface Capone. twain sought to rule this business at the cost of the other. This confrontation climaxed on a chilly February morning in 1929. In an empty warehouse in Chicago, seven men were executed by a firing squad. This event became known as the Saint Valentines Day Massacre.Control of the profitable liquor consider sparked the gang wars that littered the late 1920s with bodies. Chicago was their battleground. The opposing forces were the North Side Gang, led by Dion OBanion, and the West Side Gang who had John Torrio as its frontrunner ( cardinal Chicago Gangsters). Torrio had ambitious plans. He sought to unite the gangs of Chicago into one powerful association in which he would have full control. However, Dion OBanion did not patch up into place as one of Torrios pawns. In 1924, OBanion betrayed the powerful Torrio. Shortly after, OBanion was gunned down at his flower shop, which he used as a front for his operation. believe Torrio was behind the assassination, the North Side gang struck back (Wilker 36-37). This was the beginning of the gang wars that lasted for five years.Even though Torrio initiated this conflict, it became too much for him. The increasing take aim of corruption and bloodshed came back to him. After being wounded buy a North Side gunman, Torrio handed over his operation to his successor. His replacements name is synonymic with the words ruthless and bloodthirsty. Taking Torrios place was the infamous Al Capone. With Torrio out of the picture, The North Side Gang began to focus their attention on Capone. He became their fountainhead target (Wilker 37). The two gangs continued to fight throughout the 192 0s. In 1929, Bugs Moran was in control of the North Side Gang. Every move Capone made for advancement Moran reacted with a counter strike. The North Side gang repeatedly hijacked liquor going to Capone and even bombed six saloons that Capone was supplying (Kobler 238).