Chicago
The ratification of the 18th amendment to the Constitution in 1919 made the production and sale (including exportation) of alcoholic beverages illegal in the United States. This ushered in the beginning of what is known as the Gangster Era, a time that roughly spans from 1919 until 1933 when Prohibition was repealed. The 1920s saw gangsters, including Al Capone, Dion O'Banion, Bugs Moran and Tony Accardo battle law enforcement and each other on the streets of Chicago during the Prohibition era. Chicago was the location of the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929, when Al Capone sent men to gun down members of a rival gang, North Side, led by Bugs Moran.
Prohibition Park
The area of Prohibition Park and modern Westerleigh began as part of the 5,100 acres estate of Thomas Dongan, Colonial Governor of New York under British rule, purchased in 1683. The land was purchased in 1848 by New York politician John Vanderbilt. Between and of land were purchased from Vanderbilt's daughter in 1887 by Christopher S. Williams and Manhattan Methodist pastor William H. Boole on behalf of the National Prohibition Party. The party intended on founding a reclusive summer retreat in response to apparent widespread crime and blight in the city attributed to alcohol consumption. The park was opened on July 4, 1888, and was operated by the National Prohibition Campground Association (later the National Prohibition Park Company). In its first year of existence, 60,000 people visited the park. A 4000-seat audotorium called University Temple opened in 1891. By 1897, the park had grown to in size, with a yearly attendance of 200,000.