In the 1980s, aerial fireworks were relatively rare. Most people were happy shooting off strings and strings of Duck Brand and Horse crackers at midnight, and tossing packs of Baby Camels into the streets. It was a thrill when someone showed up with illegal tiny bottle rockets or the occasional "real" skyrocket.
After the prohibition on those was enacted, a black market found a gigantic niche to fill with illegal aerial fireworks, mortars, and bombs. And fill it they did.
To all those folks who objected to the "noise and smoke" in those days, and successfully lobbied to make firecrackers heavily restricted: Happy now?