Prohibition contributed to the growth of organized crime because when alcohol was outlawed there was still a high rate of demand so organized criminal groups mobilized to fill the gap in supply. Alcohol was a commonly consumed product prior to prohibition and so the high profitability of the product led to a large growth in organized criminal groups.
Prohibition in the United States, lasting from 1920 to 1933, banned alcohol but did not eliminate its demand. Organized crime grew as groups like the Chicago Outfit supplied illegal alcohol, capitalizing on high profits and widespread public disregard for the law. This era led to increased corruption and violence, fundamentally altering the landscape of American crime.
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