Al Capone

[close] I have developed an unequivocally, irrevocable passion for the era of the 1920’s because it is one of the most fascinating times in American history—ever! The twenties was contrast at its most extreme. From the high life to the low life, people lived hard, worked harder, smoked incessantly, drank continuously and got steady doses of heroin, morphine, cocaine and opium in their soft drinks, candy or medicines. People could get away with murder, and often did. This was the time of Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger and Al Capone. A time when fortunes were lost or made in a single night and crime got itself organized. And, bee’s knees or gnat’s spats, this rough, bawdy time changed American society forever! These were the days when a man’s word was gold, a handshake, a contract. A woman couldn’t vote but she could own a fella with a flash of leg or a whispered innuendo. It was a place where the average American life expectancy was age 53 for a man and 54 for a woman. Forty was almost elderly and definitely not the new thirty! In fact, thirty was middle aged. The average joe earned $1,236 a year. Respectable jobs for women were few and far between and prostitution could be for some, the only choice between living or dying. The twenties was a clashing, kaleidoscope of cultures and beliefs. Thousands of immigrants were arriving on American shores daily, anxious to come to the land of opportunity where the streets were reputedly paved with gold. The only true constant for everyone was change.