They Wanted Booze, Broads, and Gambling...So That's What We Gave Them

In this episode Pettengill transitions from the Gilded Age to the early twentieth century, an era known for its reform movements. The Gilded Age laid poverty and inequality bare before the American people. Given the circumstances, middle class reformers pressured government officials to address the crisis. In ways the reforms proved effective and made life more secure for millions of workers, city-dwellers, and racial/ethnic minorities. In other ways, though, these reform measures created new problems for the people they were designed to help. Pettengill notes the critical role three "pioneers" of organized crime played in brokering a middle ground when it came to accommodating the taste for vice in an age of reform. He also notes how these pioneers helped to lay a foundation for future criminals to build and improve upon.