Most of us have heard of the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1929. But how does that event relate to the National Firearms Act? We’ll be taking a look at how the former event influenced the latter, and how it’s still affecting us today.
The Rise Of Capone
Between the years of 1924 and 1930, Chicago became known for widespread violence. These events coincided with Al Capone’s rise to power in Chicago. Capone took over from his old boss, Johnny Torrio, in 1925. Torrio decided to retire to Brooklyn after he was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt.
With the passage of the 18th Amendment in 1920, bootlegging and speakeasies (illegal, clandestine drinking establishments) became huge, illegal cash cows for gangsters. They threw in prostitution and gambling for good measure. It’s estimated that Capone’s income from these illegal trades was $60 million per year, and he had an overall net worth of $100 million in 1927.
Eventually, Al Capone did exert supreme control over Chicago’s organized crime by gunning down his opposition, resulting in some 16 gang-related murders in 1924 in Chicago alone. These killings continued until 1929 when the total number of murders reached a total of 64.
Valentine’s Day Massacre
Many people believe that gang warfare is a recent phenomenon, mostly originating in the 1980s. Those who assume this would be mistaken. During the 1920s, gang warfare was rampant in Chicago. Al Capone was busy trying to eliminate rivals in prostitution, bootlegging, and gambling. A lot of money was at stake in these illegal trades, and Capone intended to grab his share and more.
Prior to the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, in September of 1926, Moran and his fellow gangsters drove past a hotel where Capone and his men were eating and sprayed the building with more than 1,000 rounds. Although Capone was not hit in the drive-by shooting, it apparently spoiled his appetite and did not impart a spirit of good tidings.
It was February 14th, 1929 when violence struck Chicago’s North Side. The event took place in a garage on the North Side of the city. Seven members of the Irish gang of George “Bugs” Moran were shot to death by several men dressed as police officers. Moran and Capone were long-time rivals, given their vicious history.
This crime remains unsolved to this day. And no concrete evidence exists linking Capone to the crime, but it’s widely accepted that he was behind the massacre. On a related note, the reactions of both opposing gangsters are very interesting, if not ironically humorous. Moran was quoted as stating, “Only Capone kills like that.” When questioned about the massacre, Capone responded, “The only man who kills like that is Bugs Moran.” Apparently, it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black on both sides.
Another interesting bit of trivia is that Bugs Moran was actually on his way to that fateful garage on the day of the massacre. He missed being gunned down himself by only a matter of minutes.
Bugs Moran
Moran ran his bootlegging operation from a garage located at 2122 North Clark Street. It was at this location that the Valentine’s Day Massacre occurred.
Seven members of the Moran gang were lined up, facing a wall in the garage when they were gunned down by men armed with Thompson Submachine Guns. Approximately 70 rounds of ammunition were fired during the mass murder.
When police arrived, they found one member of the gang, Frank Gusenberg, still alive. Police attempted to get details of the incident from him, but he died a few minutes later without giving any details about it. Eyewitnesses to this killing were very scarce. Police were able to piece together some clues, though; they said that people dressed as police had entered the garage and pretended to arrest the men. During the massacre, Moran claimed to be at his home in Florida.
Capone’s Downfall
Although Capone had eliminated the last of his major competitors with the defeat of the Moran gang, it spelled the decline of his reign. He gained popularity with the newspapers, being known as someone who would ruthlessly kill his opposition. This publicity was not beneficial for his operations or his reputation. Without realizing it, he had overplayed his hand.
Capone became the target of the feds when he didn’t appear for a federal subpoena in March 1929. He did eventually appear and was arrested by federal authorities for contempt of court. However, he posted bond and was released before being arrested again in May in Philadelphia for carrying concealed weapons, for which he served nine months.
An interesting and little-known footnote is that, while Capone served his sentence at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, his release was going to be publicized. Officials knew it was going to be a high-profile event, and they didn’t want gang members waiting outside for his release because it could result in a shooting. So, they transferred him the night before his release to State Correctional Institute at Graterford, which was north of Philadelphia. The morning of his release, he left Graterford with no fanfare and returned to Chicago.
February of 1931 saw Capone locked up again, serving just six months behind bars for the contempt of court charge. By this time, the US Treasury Department had Capone in its sights and an audit of his taxes by the IRS in 1931 saw him indicted for federal income tax evasion. He was sentenced to 11 years, serving time in Atlanta and later, Alcatraz. He was released in 1939 and died from syphilis in 1947.
Enter The NFA
At the time, president-elect Herbert Hoover promised to get a handle on crime, and he saw the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre as a platform from which to launch his attack. However, his ambitions were derailed by the Stock Market Crash in 1929, which distracted the country.
President Franklin Roosevelt wanted the federal government involved because the gun trafficking was crossing state lines. Local laws in Illinois were not proving effective because machine guns could be bought in other states and brought in. Consequently, Roosevelt launched his “New Deal For Crime”, which included the National Firearms Act of 1934. He wanted to tax all guns, along with creating a national firearms registry. People then said the same as people now: The Second Amendment protects firearms ownership and it “Shall not be infringed.”
However, the Supreme Court waffled, and said that the Second Amendment’s rights of gun ownership could be infringed (which is, quite blatantly, a direct affront to the Second Amendment).
The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same
We can see that, even back in the 1930s, a sensational event could catapult gun control to the forefront. Politicians and the government waste no time in capitalizing on the publicity in order to get the most political mileage out of the bloodshed. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Naturally, the legislation did nothing to prevent crime or shootings, since criminals continued to obtain firearms just like they did before the new laws were implemented.
Current Day
The Gun Control Act of 1934’s effects are still being felt today. Namely, it did not ban machine guns, but it did place a $200 tax on them. Back in 1934, $200 was an exorbitant fee that placed such weapons out of the hands of the ordinary man. Most simply could not afford it unless they were rich, and that was exactly the intent of the federal government. They assumed that such a tax would equate to a ban on such weapons.
As an aside, the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act of 1986 did ban the sale of new fully-automatic weapons to private citizens. In other words, no new full-auto weapons could be manufactured and then transferred to the average citizen after it took effect in 1986.
Because of that, the full-auto weapons we see today are typically older weapons. And their price tag is enormous because of their limited supply.
In order to own a fully-automatic weapon (Class III Firearm), one must endure an extensive background check, apply for a tax stamp ($200), and then, once approved, pony up a wheelbarrow full of money with which to purchase the machine gun.
Of course, these laws are about as effective these days as they were back in the 1930s: which is to say, they do next to nothing to prevent crime. The criminals are still obtaining fully-automatic (and every other kind of) weapons, while the common man cannot legally possess them. Criminals being criminals, they really don’t care about the laws because, well, they’re criminals who habitually break the law! But, I digress.
In Closing
Now we know the full story of how Capone and Moran combined efforts, along with the federal government, to curtail the gun ownership of law-abiding Americans. Ironically, Chicago has stayed true to its tradition as a violent place today, with dozens of killings every week. The city has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation, with some of the most violent crimes in the world. And it all started back in the 1920s. Some things, it seems, never change.
Oh, and Happy Valentine’s Day!
