Historical Roots of Organized Crime: From Prohibition to Modern Era, the dim glow of a smoky speakeasy flickered across the stained glass windows of a clandestine Chicago hideout in the early 1920s. Men in tailored suits and slicked-back hair whispered secrets over flickering cigar flames, their voices thick with anticipation and menace. Al Capone, a towering figure cloaked in both charm and brutality, sat at the center of his gathering, orchestrating a web of drinks and black market deals that stretched far beyond these backroom walls.