The post-World War I period was booming due to the post-war economy. Wall Street was buzzing with promising deals, and many of the heads of major stock companies were involved in “under-the-table investments.” The federal income tax system had also just been introduced to the country, and wealthy families like the Rockefellers were protecting their enormous fortunes through the loopholes of the 21st Amendment. The alcohol market was closed due to Prohibition, but then a completely new form of market opened up (the black market) where it was sold in secret instead. The most unjust of all criminal activities, however, were the gangs. These influential groups controlled black market trade and commerce, and leading members reaped some of the highest salaries in the whole