CHICAGO GANGLANDS VIMUNC II MARCH 13TH TO 14TH, 2015 HOSTED BY LANGLEY HIGH SCHOOL S MODEL UNITED NATIONS AT COOPER MIDDLE SCHOOL.

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1 CHICAGO GANGLANDS VIMUNC II MARCH 13TH TO 14TH, 2015 HOSTED BY LANGLEY HIGH SCHOOL S MODEL UNITED NATIONS AT COOPER MIDDLE SCHOOL 1 P age

2 Chicago Ganglands Page 2 VIMUNC II HOSTED BY LANGLEY HIGH SCHOOL S MODEL UNITED NATIONS MARCH 13TH TO 14TH, 2015 Dear Delegates, CAMERON DAVIS SECRETARY GENERAL Welcome to the second session of the Virginia Invitational Model United Nations Conference! Langley Model United Nations is incredibly excited to host you all at our Model UN conference, VIMUNC II, on March KATHERINE CASSIDY DIRECTOR GENERAL 13-14, We hope to create a unique experience for each and every one of you this year. This year at VIMUNC II, our goal is to provide an incredible delegate ALI AKBAR UNDER SECRETARY GENERAL experience through our wide variety of committees and incredible college chairs. Ranging from conventional General Assemblies to unconventional crisis simulations, we know that VIMUNC II will surely be unique! Through our eleven committees General Assemblies, Specialized Agencies, and AMEEN AL DALLI UNDER SECRETARY GENERAL Crisis Simulations we are sure that each delegate will be challenged with tackling important issues. From Chicago s gangs to the Ebola crisis, it is our hope that our topics will stimulate your minds and creativity! Position papers are required in all committees for delegates to be eligible for awards. RACHEL WU CHIEF OF OPERATIONS As it is our annual conference at Langley High School, we are working hard to give all of you the best experience possible. In recent years, our club has expanded exponentially, and we are using our numbers to provide the best crisis staff, typing staff, and hospitality staff possible. Through our conference schedule, we have been able to observe successful conferences held by both high schools and colleges, which we strive to model VIMUNC after. We hope that you have fun preparing for VIMUNC! Please feel free to us at vimunc@gmail.com or look on our website at langleymun.com if you have any additional questions or concerns.

3 Chicago Ganglands Page 3 LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Dear Delegates, My name s Cynthia Ding and I m so excited to be your chair for VIMUNC II in the Chicago Ganglands Committee! I m from the class of 2013, and I m currently a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania in the Huntsman Program of International Studies, which is a dual degree between the College of Arts and Sciences and the Wharton School of Business. At Penn, I m involved in the International Affairs Association (IAA) which is the umbrella organization for all the Model UN related activities at Penn. I m an Under-Secretary General for ILMUNC, which is Penn s high school conference for those of you who have never been. I still compete regularly on the college circuit as well. The best delegates for me are the ones who demonstrate innovation, flexibility, diplomatic skills, and leadership. In a crisis committee, on order to keep up with dynamism, a delegate has to be able to react to all the different crisis situations and also in terms of obstacles that might get thrown their way. Furthermore, the best delegates do not power through on their own, but must work with their committee in order to demonstrate true leadership capabilities. Directives and crisis notes must be thought out and show uniqueness in terms of ideas and clarity in terms of research and background knowledge. Position papers are essentially where all your resolutions and ideas should be fleshed out and presented in a logical format. It should be clear, after reading, what topics you believe are most important in addressing and how you plan to resolve these. Solutions should be detailed and carefully laid out, as the more detail the better - especially when interacting with your crisis staff. It should clearly represent the unique opinion of your character, and in a committee as interesting as this one, feel free to take some creative liberties (within reason) to make everything about more interesting! Best, Cynthia Ding, Class of 2013

4 Chicago Ganglands Page 4 BACKGROUND ON CHICAGO, 1920S TOPIC 1: THE OUTFIT S FIGHT AGAINST RIVAL GANGS Background: The year is 1927, William Hale Thompson has just re-entered his seat as the Mayor of Chicago thanks to the support and corruptive tactics of Al Capone, the head of the Chicago Outfit. While the mayor ran on the promise of ending the violence in the city, the tensions and rivalry between the Chicago Outfit and their rivals the North Side Gang have never been higher. Violent episodes of organized crime in American History were a pivotal point in the 1920s. During the Prohibition Era in the 1920s, organized crime became a serious issue for the citizens of Chicago. Though many believed that Prohibition would influence Americans to become conscious and industrious Chicagoans, the result was resolutely the opposite. Booze sales were higher than ever before, and all the sales were completed by evading political turmoil, bribing major officials, and most importantly ensuring dominance against rival gangs. In fact, due to the heightened threats of gang-related violence, police funding increased by $11.4 million during this decade. Additionally, arrests for Prohibition related violations astoundingly increased by over 102% between the start and end of the period. Arrests for other crimes skyrocketed as well: drunkenness and disorderly conduct, drunk driving, thefts and burglaries, and assaults and homicides, to name a few. As a result, federal convicts, the federal prison population, and total federal expenditures on penal institutions all increased in tandem with the new convictions. These violations are linked back to gang-related violence; rival gangs often competed for dominance both for power and in alcohol sales. Gangs held a common truce between one another to keep the alcohol sales a secret from high-ranked political officials against alcohol distribution; however, nothing stopped the underground powers from desperately trying to gain control in the streets of Chicago.

5 Chicago Ganglands Page 5 Topic I: The Chicago Outfit was the leading mafia in Chicago during the 1920s. The Outfit began as a start-up group in the early 1900s, as an influx of Italian immigrants settled in Chicago. These immigrants set up street gangs, most of them of Italian background, and they controlled most of the criminal activity throughout Chicago and New York. The Chicago Outfit practiced what was known as the Black Hand scheme. This referred to a procedure that came about in Italian gangs, and consisted of gangs threatening alcohol buyers, either citizens or political leaders, with heavy violence unless proper monetary amounts were paid. These extortion tactics used Black Hands workers to assist intense and cruel murders and battery. Before Prohibition, the Chicago Outfit had still been involved in notorious crimes, such as mainly gambling and prostitution, but when Prohibition took major effect in 1919, the Outfit focused on booze sales. The primary up-and-coming leader was Giacomo Big Jim Colosimo. When he had solidified his power by controlling hundreds of brothels of underground alcohol, he had hired his nephew Giovanni Papa Johnny Torrio into the Outfit as a main leader as well. Torrio then added Alphonse Scarface Capone, who later became the leading face of the Outfit. Importantly, as Torrio encouraged his uncle, Colosimo, to promote the booze business, Colosimo refused, thinking that it was too risky. Torrio responded to this disagreement by having his uncle murdered, monumentally influencing the beginning of the beer wars. The beer wars, the most violent episodes of organized crime in American History, were a pivotal point in the 1920s. As bootlegging became the main source of income for Chicago gangs, frequent murder followed between gangs. Torrio and Al Capone's gang controlled major areas of the South Side and the Loop in Chicago, they began to move towards the Gold Coast. The issue with this expansion was that the area was close to Dean O'Banion's gang and the Irish-American North Side Gang. The gangs' truce did not last long, and O'Banion deliberately scammed Torrio out of half a million dollars. Consequently, Torrio quickly retaliated by murdering O'Banion and causing a series of gunfire battles between gangs. The result of these alleged crimes was many attempted murders of Torrio, which caused Torrio to hand the total powers of the Outfit to Al Capone, making him one of the richest men in Chicago.

6 Chicago Ganglands Page 6 Capone continued to calculating use violence to cripple his enemies from succeeding in booze sales, especially the North Side gangs. Most of these assaults, however, gained so much negative publicity that Chicago had to increase its security and police forces. It is imperative that the Outfit finds proper ways to increase their alcohol sales faster and more efficiently than the rival gangs are able to increase theirs. If the North Side Gang gains ground or increased revenue, they earn the ability to either lower the Outfit s sales or use force to overtake the Outfit as Chicago s top gang. The Outfit must utilize any tactics it can in order to ensure the North Side Gangs sales do not surpass ours while increasing our own revenue growth. This committee cannot function if it is not making major sales and reaping in the profits once the Outfit falls substantially behind in profits, it will become meaningless in the Windy City. Furthermore, while the rivalry with the North Side Gang may be over the sale and distribution of alcohol, that doesn t mean violence and murder aren t matters to discuss. The Outfit may choose to engage in full out assaults or warfare, or to simply assassinate key rivals within the North Side Gang. Regardless, it is imperative our rivals lose their support and momentum. Whether that is by cutting the head off the snake or simply reducing the morale of its members, something must be done. However, we must be wary of police involvement. Murder of a criminal is still murder, and police officials may choose to intervene should we make too much of a noise or presence. It is vital we carefully plan out the public image we hope to portray, whether we hope to eliminate rival gang affiliates quietly or through public displays to generate fear are key matters to discuss and debate. Each approach has both its benefits and consequences. Finally, remember in the world of crime nothing is off the table. While we engage in our own offensives or strategies against the enemy, they plan on doing the same. It s crucial we try to protect our own members and leaders, while staying cautious of potential traitors and double agents within our own ranks. Money is a powerful tool, and while we can use it for own bribery and corruption efforts, so can the enemy. We must take all measures we can to root out and if necessary, and make an example of any traitors. It is of utmost importance we allow Al Capone s empire to rise and thrive in this city of both chaos and fortune. Make sure the boss is happy and his will is carried through. Should our actions put either his empire or

7 Chicago Ganglands Page 7 even his life in jeopardy, the delegates will suffer the consequences, whether that be through the failure and fall of our Outfit, or simply Capone hoping to get rid of dead weight. Prove your worth delegates. The worthy shall reap great and prosperous fortunes in a life of luxury they cannot even begin to imagine. The unworthy won t be so lucky. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER 1. How can the Outfit remain higher than the North Side gangs in power and success? 2. How does the Outfit plan to carry out assaults on the North Side, violent or economic? 3. What kind of partnerships or alliances should the Outfit look to form?

8 Chicago Ganglands Page 8 TOPIC 2: POLITICAL REPRESENTATION AND PUBLIC IMAGE OF THE OUTFIT Political corruption is at the heart of the Outfit. Running such a vast criminal operation, it is almost impossible not to get caught at least a few times. However, due to its political influence and intimidation tactics the Outfit s members are rarely incarcerated. Intimidation of key witnesses and bribery of powerful political figures are vital tactics to the success and continued growth of the Outfit. This was critical to the success of the Outfit since it ensured that the gang would be almost immune to prosecution and lawsuits. Perhaps, one of the greatest successes of the Outfit has been the successful corruption of Mayor William Hale Thompson. By taking the mayor out of the picture, the Outfit has gained the green light to continue its many operations without fear of punishment. One of the main jobs of this committee will be to decide how to siphon the proper amount of funds required for bribery and to carefully choose which government officials to bribe and corrupt. This will be difficult because as Thompson has gotten more entrenched with gangs and violence, his public support has declined greatly probably paving the way for a new mayor. Whether or not this new mayor is corruptible it is important for the Outfit to gain more governmental leverage. Before Thompson, there was a time when Al Capone was Cicero s mayor behind the scenes. Following the election of Republican Joseph Klenha, who promised to be incorruptible, to the major s office, Capone went to City Hall and beat the mayor unconscious in front of the police who did nothing. Outside of the executive branch, police enforcement has predictably been a thorn in the side of the Outfit. Al Capone himself personally bribed the district attorney. Capone was once brought in for questioning about the murder of the assistant state s attorney s murder but Capone denied the allegations and was let go. Interestingly, the day before the murder Capone had given the attorney a bottle of alcohol for his father. Another major tactic of the Outfit was witness intimidation. Blackmailing and even murdering important witnesses was important in keeping members of the Outfit out of jail.

9 Chicago Ganglands Page 9 A relatively new threat to the Outfit is the addition of federal troops in the fight against gangs in Chicago. Chicago Loop banker Rufus C. Dawes and his brother Vice President of the United States Charles Dawes were the driving force behind this movement. Rufus Dawes is president of the World Fair Corporation which was trying to bring the Century of Progress to Chicago. This was a huge fair that could bring lots of important revenue to the city and state government but fear of gangs and shootings would drastically lower attendance and revenue. The Dawes believed that stopping Capone would be the key to this and lobbied President Coolidge. Soon federal troops will be setting their sights on Al Capone. This issue is of utmost importance to the Outfit. This committee should focus on finding ways to evade the feds and ensuring its members are protected from the law. In addition, the Outfit needs customers for a profit, if the city s population turns against the mob and crime gangs then the police will have even more backing in their efforts while the Outfit also risks losing potential business. It is important the Outfit uphold a proper image in the public eye to ensure its continued support and growth. Whether this committee wants to intimidate the public into supporting the Outfit and letting its crimes slide or simply win their approval is up to the discretion of the delegates. However, something must be done otherwise, citywide panic or riots could lead to major losses for the Outfit, leaving it vulnerable for takeover by the North Side Gang. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER 1. How can the Outfit ensure a successful influence in the political system? 2. What are effective methods of either overcoming or bribing the police force? 3. How can we ensure there is no mass public retaliation to the Outfit s activities?

10 Chicago Ganglands Page 10 WORKS CITED "Al Capone." American History. ABC-CLIO, Web. 20 Feb Blocker, Jack S. Did Prohibition Really Work? Alcohol Prohibition as a Public Health Innovation. American Journal of Public Health 96.2 (2006): PMC. Web. 20 Feb "Burns, Eric: 1920." Kirkus Reviews 1 Feb General OneFile. Web. 20 Feb "Crime." American History. ABC-CLIO, Web. 20 Feb Jenson, Jeffrey M. "Gangs: The Origins and Impacts of Contemporary Youth Gangs in the United States." Social Work 39.1 (1994): 141. Academic OneFile. Web. 20 Feb Kelly, Jack. "Gangster City." American Heritage Apr. 1995: 65+. General OneFile. Web. 20 Feb McBeath, Carter. "Chicago." American History. ABC-CLIO, Web. 20 Feb Miron, Jeffrey A., and Jeffrey Zwiebel "The Economic Case against Drug Prohibition." Journal of Economic Perspectives, 9(4): "A Nation in Transition, " American History. ABC-CLIO, Web. 20 Feb Rockaway, Robert A. "The Notorious Purple Gang: Detroit's All-Jewish Prohibition Era Mob." Shofar 20.1 (2001): 113. Academic OneFile. Web. 20 Feb "The World at War, " World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, Web. 20 Feb "Through the years: A Chicago Auto Show timeline." Daily Herald [Arlington Heights, IL] 14 Feb. 2015: 10. Infotrac Newsstand. Web. 20 Feb