NCJ Number
43123
Date Published
Unknown
Length
67 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY CONCLUDES THAT THE IMPACT OF BOOTLEGGERS ON THE STRUCTURE AND CONTROL OF GAMBLING VARIED FROM CITY TO CITY AND WAS LESS THAN THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL, LEGAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES.
Abstract
TRADITIONALLY, IT HAS BEEN ASSUMED THAT BOOTLEGGERS TOOK OVER GAMBLING OPERATIONS AT THE END OF PROHIBITION BECAUSE THEY HAD SURPLUS FUNDS. THEY ACTUALLY BOUGHT INTO GAMBLING OPERATIONS DURING THE ENTIRE PERIOD 1920-1933 AS OLDER GAMBLING LEADERS DIED, BUT THEIR INFLUENCE WAS CONCENTRATED IN NEW YORK, CHICAGO, FLORIDA, NEVADA, AND CUBA. IN MOST OTHER CITIES, BOOTLEGGERS WERE EITHER UNINVOLVED IN GAMBLING OR ONLY SLIGHTLY INVOLVED. THE INFLUENCE OF ITALIANS HAS BEEN OVERESTIMATED: HALF OF ALL BOOTLEGGERS WERE JEWISH , BUT ONLY A QUARTER WERE ITALIAN. GREATEST CHANGES IN GAMBLING CAME FROM THE INVENTION OF THE TELEPHONE, WHICH FREED BOOKMAKERS FROM A LOCATION NEAR A TRACK; LEGALIZATION OF GAMBLING IN A FEW STATES, WHICH LED TO CASINOS; AND THE ENTRANCE OF BLACKS INTO THE NUMBERS RACKETS. EVEN WHEN BOOTLEGGERS ENTERED GAMBLING, THE OLDER OPERATORS REMAINED AS PARTNERS, MANAGERS, AND POLITICAL FIXERS. BOOTLEGGERS BROUGHT IN MANAGERIAL EXPERTISE ACQUIRED COORDINATING AN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF MANUFACTURING AND IMPORT FACILITIES USED TO BRING ILLEGAL LIQUOR INTO THE UNITED STATES. SUCH PERSONS LATER BECAME MANAGERS OF REGIONAL CASINOS, THEN PARTNERS OR MANAGERS OF LARGE LAS VEGAS HOTEL-CASINOS.