Final answer:
Gatsby's wealth in 'The Great Gatsby' was acquired through organized crime and bootlegging, reflecting the widespread illegal activities during the Prohibition Era, as personified by real-life figures like Al Capone.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gatsby made his fortune predominantly in organized crime and bootlegging. During the Prohibition Era, crime figures like Chicago's Al Capone amassed vast wealth from bootlegging, among other illegal activities. These underworld empires, as a result, flourished, famously including bootlegging, prostitution, and gambling. F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of The Great Gatsby, mirrored these times in his novel.
Additionally, Capone and his contemporaries would often launder their money through legitimate businesses to obscure their illicit earnings. Fitzgerald's portrayal of Gatsby and the 1920s is considered essential in understanding the complexities and hidden depths of what was dubbed 'The Jazz Age'.