Final answer:
Organized crime was prominently defined during Prohibition in the U.S., with criminals like Al Capone running multifaceted illegal operations. Their activities, while providing in-demand services, involved considerable violence and corruption. Today, international cooperation is crucial to combat transnational organized crime networks.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of organized crime was notably defined during the Prohibition Era in the United States. During this time, criminal figures like Al Capone became synonymous with the term, as they ran extensive illegal operations that included bootlegging, prostitution, gambling, and more. With his Chicago Outfit, Capone's structured criminal empire encompassed various illicit activities and generated enormous income, while also gaining some public sympathy for providing services that were in high demand during Prohibition.
However, beyond the romanticized public image, the operations were also notoriously violent and leveraged corruption within law enforcement. The vast wealth accumulated was often laundered through legitimate businesses, complicating legal efforts to prosecute individuals like Capone for their crimes. Eventually, authorities like the FBI turned to tax evasion charges to bring these criminals to justice. The legacy of organized crime figures from this era has had lasting effects on how such criminal organizations are perceived and has influenced law enforcement strategies.
Transnational organized crime has also grown into a global challenge, with criminal networks operating across borders and requiring international cooperation to effectively combat them. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and domestic agencies like the FBI work together to tackle these sophisticated and pervasive networks.